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Edvard Dunigan. /bBrothBr,"New Tork 


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THE 


0?VRIO^ 



GLORIES OF MARY. 


TRANSLATED FROM THE ITALIAN OF 


/ 


ST. ALPHONSUS LIGUORI, 

FOUNDER OF THE CONGREGATION OF THE MOST HOLY REDEEMER. 



SECOND AMERICAN EDITION. 

«*• 

NEW YORK: 

EDWARD DUNIGAN AND BROTHER, 

151 FULTON-STREET, NEAR BROADWAY. 

1852 . 




Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1852, by 
Edward Dunigan & Brother, 

In the Clerk’s Office of the District Court for the Southern District of 
New York. 


Trk Library 

OF CoNf?Rx?3g 

Washington 



This new and improved translation ol 
' 4 The Glories of Mary,” having been duly 
examined, is hereby approved of. 


A r ew York, Jan. 21 st, 1852. 


^ JOHN, 

Archbishop of New York 



PREFACE TO THE AMERICAN EDITION. 


The edition of the “ Glones of Mary” now pre- 
sented to the Catholic public of America is the first 
complete translation of the work ever made into the 
English language. We trust that it will be found 
to retain the spirit of the learned and saintly author, 
and that it will be welcomed by the faithful in this 
country with the same delight which it has univer- 
sally called forth in Catholic Europe. 


PROTEST OF THE AUTHOR. 


In obedience to the decrees of Urban VIII., of holy 
memory, I protest that I do not intend to attribute 
any other than purely human authority to all the 
miracles, revelations, graces, and incidents contained 
in this book ; neither to the titles holy or blessed ap- 
plied to the servants of God not yet canonized ; ex- 
cept in cases where these have been confirmed by the 
holy Roman Catholic Church, and by the holy Apos- 
tolic See, of whom I profess myself an obedient son ; 
and therefore to their judgment I submit myself and 
whatever I have written in this book. 


CONTENTS. 


PAGE. 

Preface to American edition 3 

Protest of the author....... 4 

Petition of the author to Jesus and Mary 11 

To the reader 13 

Introduction 16 

Prayer to^the blessed Virgin to obtain a good death 22 

CHAPTER I. 

Section 1. — Hail, holy Queen, Mother of Mercy ! — Of the 
great confidence we should have in Mary, because she 

is the Queen of Mercy 25 

Sect. 2. — How much greater should be our confidence in 

Mary, because she is our mother 39 

Sect. 3. — How great is the love of our mother for us 50 

Sect. 4. — Mary is also mother of penitent sinners 68 

CHAPTER II. 

Sect. 1. — Our life, our sweetness ! — Mary is our life, be- 
cause she obtains for us the pardon of our sins 80 

Sect. 2. — Mary is again our life, because she obtains for 

us perseverance 90 

Sect. 3. — Mary renders death sweet to her servants ... . 101 

CHAPTER III. 

Sect. 1. — Hail, oui hope! — Mary is the hope of all 115 

Sect 2 — Mary, the hope of sinners 129 

1* 


6 


CONTENTS . 


CHAPTER IV. 

t 

Sect. 1. — To thee do we cry, poor banished children of 
Eve ! — How ready is Mary to succor those who call 

upon her 142 

Sect. 2. — How powerful is Mary to protect those who 
invoke her in temptations of the devil 155 

CHAPTER Y. 

Sect. 1. — To thee we send up our sighs, groaning and 
weeping in this valley of tears ! — The need we have of 

the intercession of Mary for our salvation 168 

Sect. 2. — The same subject continued 185 

CHAPTER VI. 

Sect. 1. — Ah, then, our advocate ! — Mary is an advocate, 

powerful to save all.,. . 200 

Sect. 2. — Mary is a merciful advocate, who does not re- 
fuse to defend the cause of the most miserable sinners, 215 
Sect. 3. — Mary is the peace-maker between sinners and 
God 226 

CHAPTER YIL 

Turn thy eyes of mercy towards us. — Mary is all eyes, 
to pity and relieve our miseries 241 

CHAPTER VIII. 

Sect. 1. — And after this our exile, show us the blessed 
fruit of thy womb, Jesus. — Mary rescues her servants 

from hell 254 

Sect. 2. — Mary assists her servants in purgatory 26*7 

Sect. 3. — Mary conducts her servants to paradise 2 76 


CONTENTS. 


7 


CHAPTER IX. 

Oh clement, oh merciful ! — How great is the clemency 
and mercy of Mary 290 

CHAPTER X. 

Oh sweet Virgin Mary ! — How sweet is the name of Mary 
in life and in death 305 


THE VERY DEVOUT PRAYERS OF VARIOUS SAINTS TO THE 
HOLY MOTHER 322 


PART II. 

DISCOURSE I 

ON THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION OF MARY. 

How befitting it was to all three of the Divine Persons 
that Mary should be preserved from original sin 337 

DISCOURSE H. 

ON THE BIRTH OF MARY. 

Mary was born a saint, and a great saint, for great was 
the grace with which our Lord enriched her from the 
beginning, and great was the fidelity with which Mary 
at once corresponded with it 371 

DISCOURSE III. 

ON THE PRESENTATION OF MARY. 

The offering which Mary made of herself to God was 
prompt, without delay ; entire, without reserve 893 


8 


CONTENTS . 


DISCOURSE IY. 

ON THE ANNUNCIATION OF MART. 

Mary could not humble herself more than she did in the 
incarnation of the Word ; on the other hand, God could 
not exalt her more than he has exalted her 410 

DISCOURSE Y. 

ON THE VISITATION OF MAET. 

Mary is the treasurer of all the divine graces ; therefore 
he who desires graces, should have recourse to Mary ; 
and he who has recourse to Mary, should be secure of 
obtaining the graces he wishes 436 

DISCOURSE VI. 

ON THE PURIFICATION OF MART. 

The great sacrifice which Mary this day made to God, in 
offering him the life of her Son 457 

DISCOURSE VII. 

ON THE ASSUMPTION OF MART. 

How precious was the death of Mary. 1st. By the fa- 
vors which accompanied it. 2d. By the manner in 
which it took place 475 

DISCOURSE VIII. 

ANOTHER DISCOURSE ON THE ASSUMPTION OF MARY. 

1st. How glorious was the triumph of Mary when she 
ascended to heaven ! 2d. How exalted was the throne 
to which she was raised in heaven ! 496 

DISCOURSE IX. 

ON THE DOLORS OF MARY. 

Mary was queen of martyrs, because her martyrdom 
was longer and greater than that of all the martyrs... 515 


CONTENTS. 


9 


REFLECTIONS 

ON EACH OF THE SEVEN DOLORS IN PARTICULAR. 

ON THE FIRST DOLOR. 

Of St. Simeon’s prophecy 537 

on £he second dolor. 

Of the flight of Jesus into Egypt 545 

ON THE THIRD DOLOR. 

Of the loss of Jesus in the temple 552 

ON THE FOURTH DOLOR. 

Of the meeting of Mary with Jesus, when he went to 
Calvary 660 

ON THE FIFTH DOLOR. 

Of the death of Jesus 668 

ON THE SIXTH DOLOR. 

The piercing of the side of Jesus, and his descent from 
the cross 577 

ON THE SEVENTH DOLOR. 

Of the burial of the body of Jesus 585 


OF THE VIRTUES OF THE MOST HOLY MARY. 

Section 1 . — Of the humility of Mary 594 

Section 2. — Of the charity of Mary towards God 603 

Section 3. — Of the charity of Mary for her neighbor 611 

Section 4. — Of the faith of Mary 615 

Section 5. — Of the hope of Mary 620 


10 


CONTENTS . 


Section 6. — Of the chastity of Mary 623 

Section 7. — Of the poverty of Mary 629 

Section 8. — Of the obedience of Mary 632 

Section 9. — Of the patience of Mary 636 

Section 10. — Of the prayer of Mary 639 

Various practices of devotion to the divine mother 643 

Various additional examples appertaining to the most 

holy Mary % 679 

Novena of meditations for the nine days preceding the 

Feast of the Purification of Mary 727 

Meditations for various feasts of Mary 749 

Prayers to the divine mother for every day of the week, 764 

Little Rosary of the seven dolors of Mary 773 

Little Rosary of the immaculate Mary 778 

Various prayers to Mary 778 


EJACULATIONS TO THE MOST HOLY MARY. 782 

ACCLAMATIONS IN PRAISE OF MARY 785 


PETITION OF THE AUTHOR TO JESUS AND 
MARY. 


My most loving Redeemer and Lord Jesus Christ, 
I thy poor servant, knowing how pleasing to thee are 
those who seek to glorify thy most holy mother, 
whom thou lovest so much, and dost so much desire 
to see loved and honored by all men, I propose to 
publish this book of mine which treats of her glories. 
I know not to whom I could commend it but to thee, 
who hast so much at heart the glory of this mother. 
To thee, then, I present and dedicate it. Receive this 
little offering of my love for thee and thy beloved 
mother. Take it under thy protection, and pour into 
the hearts of those who read it the light of confidence 
in this immaculate Virgin, and the warmth of a burn- 
ing love for her, in whom thou hast placed the hope 
and refuge of all the redeemed. And for the reward 
of this, my poor effort, give me, I pray thee, that love 
for Mary with which I have desired to inflame, by 
this my little work, the hearts of all those who read it. 

To thee also I appeal, oh my sweetest Lady and 
mother Mary. Thou knowest that in thee, next to 
Jesus, I have placed all hope of my eternal salvation, 
since all the good I have received, my conversion, my 
vocation to leave the world, and whatever other graces 
have been given me by God, I acknowledge them all 


12 PETITION OF THE AUTHOR. 

as coming through thee. Thou knowest that to see 
thee loved by all as thou dost deserve, and to offer thee 
some token of gratitude, I have always sought to pro- 
claim thee everywhere, in public and in private, and to 
inspire all men with a sweet and salutary devotion to 
thee. I hope to continue to do so for the remainder 
of my life, even to my last breath. But I see by my 
advanced age and declining health that the end of my 
pilgrimage and my entrance into eternity are drawing 
near ; therefore, I hope to give to the world, before 
my death, this little book of mine which may continue 
to proclaim thee for me, and also may excite others 
to publish thy glories and the great mercy which thou 
dost exercise towards thy devoted servants. I hope, 
my most beloved queen, that this my poor offering, 
although it falls so far short of thy merit, may be 
pleasing to thy grateful heart, since it is wholly a gift 
of love. Extend, then, that most kind hand of thine 
with which thou hast delivered me from the world 
and from hell, and accept it and protect it as belong- 
ing to thee. But I ask this reward for my little offer- 
ing, that henceforth I may love thee more, and that 
all into whose hands this work shall fall, may be in- 
flamed with thy love, so that immediately their desire 
may increase to love thee, and see others love thee 
also; and that they may engage with all ardor in 
proclaiming and promoting, as far as possible, thy 
praise, and confidence in thy most holy intercession. 
Thus I hope, thus may it be. 


TO THE READER. 


In order that this little work of mine may not he 
exposed to censure from very fastidious critics, I have 
thought it best to place in a clearer light some of the 
propositions which it contains, and which may seem 
too bold, or perhaps obscure. I here enumerate some 
of them, and if others, my dear reader, should come 
under your eye, I pray you to consider them as meant 
and spoken by me according to the sense of true and 
sound theology, and of the holy Roman Catholic 
Church, whose obedient son I profess myself. In the 
introduction, page 19, referring to chap. 5th of the 
book, I have said that God has ordained that all 
graces should come to us through the hands of Mary. 
Now this is a very consoling truth for souls tenderly 
attached to the most holy Mary, and for poor sinners 
who desire to be converted. Nor should this appear 
to any one inconsistent with sound theology, since its 
author, St. Augustine, puts it forth as a general state- 
ment, that Mary has shared, by means of her charity, 
in the spiritual birth of all the members of the 
Church.* 

* Mater quidem spiritu non capitis nostri, quod est ipse salva- 
tor, ex quo magis ilia spiritualiter nata est ; quia omnes, qui in 
eum crediderint, in quibus et ipsa est, recte filii sponsi appcllan- 


14 


TO THE READER. 


A well-known author, whom no one will suspect of 
exaggeration or of fanciful and overheated devotion, 
adds, that as Jesus Christ really formed his Church on 
Calvary, it is plain that the holy Virgin really co- 
operated with him, in a peculiar and excellent manner, 
in its formation.* And for the same reason it may 
be said, that if she brought forth Jesus Christ, the 
head of the Church, without pain, she did not bring 
forth the body of this head without pain. Hence she 
commenced on Calvary to be, in a particular manner, 
mother of the whole Church. To say all in a few 
words, Almighty God, in order to glorify the mother 
of the Redeemer, has ordained that her great charity 
should intercede for all those for whom her divine 
Son offered and paid the superabundant ransom of 
his precious blood, in which alone is our salvation , life, 
and resurrection. It is on the basis of this doctrine 
and whatever belongs to it that I have undertaken to 
establish my propositions,! which the saints in their 
affecting colloquies with Mary, and in their fervent 
discourses concerning her, have not hesitated to assert : 
whence an ancient father, quoted by the celebrated 
Vincenzo Contensone, has written : The fulness of 
grace was in Christ as the head from which it flows, 


tur; sed plane mater membrorum ejus (quae nos sumus) quia 
cooperata est charitate, ut fideles in Ecclesia nascerentur, qui 
illius capitis membra sunt. Lib. de Sancta Virginitate, cap. 6. 

* M. Nicole, Instr. theol. and mor. on the Lord’s Prayer, the 
Angelical Salutation, &c., Instr. 5, c. 2. 

+ Part 1, c. 6, § 2, c. 7, 8, § 2, c. 9. 


TO THE EEADEE. 


15 


but in Mary as the neck through which it is trans- 
mitted.* This is plainly taught by the angelic Doctor, 
St. Thomas, who confirms all the foregoing in these 
words : The blessed Virgin is called full of grace in 

three ways The third, in reference to its 

overflowing upon all men. For great is it in each 
saint if he hath enough of grace for the salvation of 
many; but this would be the greatest, if he had 
enough for the salvation of all men ; and it is so with 
Christ and the blessed Virgin, for in every danger we 
may obtain salvation through the glorious Virgin. 
Hence, cant. 4, v. 4, a thousand bucklers — that is, 
remedies against dangers — hang upon her ; “ Mille 
clypei pendent ex ea.” Hence in every virtuous work 
we can have her aid, and, therefore, she herself says, 
In me is all hope of life and of virtue : “ In me omnis 
spes vitce et virtutis. ,, \ — Eccli. xxiv. 25. 

* In Christo fuit plenitudo gratia?, sicut in capite influente ; 
in Maria vero, sicut in collo transfundente. Theolog. mentis et 
cordis. Tom. 2, Lib. 10. Dissert. 6, c. 1. Speculat. 2. in Ee- 
flexiones. 

t Dicitur autem Beata Virgo plena gratise, quantum ad tria .... 
Tertio quo ad refusionem in omnes homines. Magnum enim est 
in quolibet sancto, quando liabet tantum de gratia quod sufficit 
ad salutem multorum ; sed quando haberet tantum, quod suf- 
ficeret ad salutem omnium hominum de mundo, hoc esset max- 
imum ; et hoc est in Christo et in Beata Virgine. Nam in omni 
periculo potes salutem obtinere ab ipsa Virgine gloriosa. Unde 
cantic. 4. Mille clypei , id est remedia contra pericula, pendent ex 
ea. Item in omni opere virtutis potes earn habere in adjutorium ; 
et ideo dicit ipsa. Eccli. xxiv. 25. 


IHTBODUCTIOE 


WHICH OUGHT TO BE READ. 


My dear reader and brother in Mary, since the devo- 
tion which has urged me to write, and now moves you 
to read this book, renders us both happy children of 
this good mother, if you ever should hear any one say 
that I could have spared this labor, there being so 
many learned and celebrated books that treat of this 
subject, answer him, I pray you, in the words of Fran- 
cone the abbot, which we find in the Library of the 
Fathers, that the praise of Mary is a fountain so full 
that the more it extends, the fuller it becomes, and the 
fuller it becomes the more it extends ;* which signifies, 
that the blessed Virgin is so great and sublime, that the 
more we praise her, the more there is to praise. So 
that St. Augustine says : All the tongues of men, 
even if all their members were changed to tongues, 
would not be sufficient to praise her as she deserves.f 

* Laus Marise fons est indeficiens, qui quanto amplius tendi- 
tur, tanto amplius impletur; quanto amplius impletur, tanto 
amplius dilatatur. 

+ Etiamsi omnium nostrum membra verterentur in linguae 
earn laudare sufficiret nullus. Ap. B. Dion. Carth. 


INTEODUCTION. 


17 


I know that there are innumerable books, both great 
and small, which treat of the glories of Mary ; but as 
these are rare or voluminous, and not according to my 
plan, I have endeavored to collect in a small space, 
from all the authors at my command, the most select 
and pithy sentences of the Fathers and theologians, in 
order to give devout persons an opportunity, with little 
effort or expense, to inflame their ardor by reading of 
the love of Mary, and especially to present materials to 
priests which may enable them to excite by their ser- 
mons devotion to the divine mother. 

Worldly lovers are accustomed to mention frequent* 
ly and to praise the persons beloved, that these may be 
praised and applauded also by others ; then how poor 
must we suppose the love of those to be who boast of 
being lovers of Mary, but who seldom remember to 
speak of her, and inspire the love of her also in others ! 
Not so the true lovers of our most lovely Lady : they 
would praise her everywhere, and see her loved by all 
the world ; and therefore in public and in private, where- 
ever it is in their power, they endeavor to kindle in 
the hearts of all, those blessed flames of love with 
which theirs are burning for their beloved queen. 

But that every one may be persuaded of how great 
benefit it is to himself and the people to promote devo- 
tion to Mary, let us hear what the Fathers say of it. 
St. Bonaventure declares that those who are devoted to 
publishing the glories of Mary, are secure of paradise ; 
and Richard of St-. Laurence confirms this by saying, 
that to honor the queen of angels is to acquire life ever- 
2* 


18 


INTRODUCTION". 


lasting ;* * * § since our most grateful Lady, adds the same 
author, pledges herself to honor in the other life him 
who promises to honor her in this ;f and is there any 
one ignorant of the promise made by Mary herself to 
those who engage in promoting the knowledge and 
love of her upon the earth ? “ They that explain me 

shall have life everlasting, as the holy Church applies 
it on the festival of her Immaculate Conception. Exult, 
exult ! oh my soul ! said St. Bonaventure, who was so 
assiduous in proclaiming the praises of Mary, and 
rejoice in her, because many good things are prepared 
for those who praise her ; and since all the Holy Scrip- 
tures, he added, speak in praise of Mary, let us endeavor 
always with heart and tongue to celebrate this our di- 
vine- mother, that we may be conducted by her to the 
kingdom of the blessed.§ 

We are told in the revelations of St. Bridget, that the 
blessed Emingo, Bishop, being accustomed to begin his 
sermons with the praises of Mary, the Virgin herself 
appeared one day to the saint, and said to her, “ Tell 
that prelate who is accustomed to commence his dis- 
courses with my praises, that I will be his mother, and 
that I will present his soul to God, and that he shall die 

* Honorare Mariam est thesaurizare vitam eternam. De 
Laud. v. c. 2. 

t Ilonorificantes se in hoc sseculo honorificabit in futuro. 

t Qui elucidant me, vitam eternam habebunt. Eccli. xxiv. 31. 

§ Exulta, exulta, anima mea, et lsetare in ilia; quia multa 
bona sunt laudatoribus prseparata. Si enim omnes scripturse 
loquuntur de ea, Deiparam perpetuo corde et lingua celebremus, 
ut ab ipsa ad gaudia eterna perducamur. 


INTRODUCTION. 


19 


a good death and he indeed died like a saint, in 
prayer and in celestial peace. Mary appeared before 
his death to another religious, a Dominican, who was 
accustomed to terminate his sermons by speaking of 
her. She defended him from the assaults of the de- 
mons, comforted him, and bore away with her his happy 
soul.f The devout Thomas a Kempis represents Mary 
as commending to her Son those who publish her 
praises, and saying, “ Oh, my Son, have compassion on 
the souls of thy lovers, and of those who speak in my 
praise.” J 

As far as the advantage of the people is concerned, 
St. Anselm says, that the sacred womb of Mary 
having been made the way of salvation for sinners, 
sinners cannot but be converted and saved by dis- 
courses in praise of Mary.§ If the assertion is true 
and incontrovertible, as I believe it to be, and as I 
shall prove, in the fifth chapter of this book, that all 
graces are dispensed by the hand of Mary alone, and 
that all those who are saved, are saved solely by 
means of this divine mother ; it may be said, as a ne- 
cessary consequence, that the salvation of all depends 
upon preaching Mary, and confidence in her interces- 
sion. We know that St. Bernard of Sienna sanctified 

* Revel., cap. 14. 

t Ap. P. Auriem. 

X Fili, miserere animas amatoris tui et laudatoris mei. Serm. 
20, ad Nov. 

§ Quomodo fieri potest ut ex memoria laudum ejus salus non 
proveniat peccatorum, cujus uterus facta est via ad peccatores 
salvandos ? S. Ans. Lib. 3, de Exc. V. cap. 1. 


20 


INTRODUCTION'. 


Italy; St. Dominic converted many provinces; St. 
Louis Bertrand, in all his sermons, never failed to ex- 
hort his hearers to practise devotion towards Mary ; 
and many others also have done the same. 

I find that Father Paul Segneri, the younger, a cele- 
brated missionary, in every mission preached a sermon 
on devotion to Mary, and this he called his favorite 
sermon. And we can attest, in all truth, that in our 
missions, where we have an invariable ride not to omit 
the sermon on our Lady, no discourse is so profita- 
ble to the people, or excites more compunction among 
them, than that on the mercy of Mary. I say on the 
mercy of Mary : for St. Bernard says, we may praise 
her humility, and marvel at her virginity ; but being 
poor sinners, we are more pleased and attracted by 
hearing of her mercy ; for to this we more affection- 
ately cling, this we more often remember and invoke.* 
Therefore in this little book, leaving to other authors 
the desciiption of the other merits of Mary, I have con- 
fined myself especially to treating of her great compas- 
sion and her powerful intercession ; having collected, as 
far as possible, with the labor of years, all that the 
holy Fathers and the most celebrated authors have 
said of the mercy and power of Mary ; and because 
these attributes of the blessed Virgin are wonderfully 
set forth in the great prayer of the Salve Regina, ap- 
proved by the Church, and required by her to be re- 

* Laudamus humilitatem, miramur virginitatem ; sed miseris 
sapit dulcius misericordia ; misericordiam amplectimur carius, 
recordamur seepius, crebrius mvocanms. Serm. 4, de Ass. 


INTRODUCTION. 


21 


cited the greater part of the year by all the clergy, 
secular and regular, I have undertaken, in the first 
place, to explain in separate discourses this most de- 
vout prayer. Besides this, I believed it would be 
acceptable to the servants of Mary, if I added dis- 
courses on her principal festivals and upon the virtues 
of our divine mother, placing at the conclusion of 
them the practices of devotion most in use among her 
servants, and approved by the Church. 

Devout reader, if this little work of mine pleases 
you, as I hope it will, I pray you to commend me to 
the holy Virgin, that I may obtain great confidence 
in her protection. Ask for me this grace, and I will 
ask the same for you, whoever you may be, who be- 
stow on me this charity. Oh, blessed is he who 
clings with love and confidence to those two anchors 
of salvation, Jesus and Mary ! He certainly will not 
be lost. Let us both say, oh my reader, with the de- 
vout Alphonso Rodriguez : Jesus and Mary, my sweet 
loves, for you I will suffer, for you I will die ; may I 
be wholly yours, may I be in nothing my own.* May 
we love Jesus and Mary, and become saints, since we 
can aspire and hope for no greater happiness than this. 
Farewell, till we meet in heaven at the feet of this 
sweet mother and her dearly beloved Son, to praise 
them, to thank them, and love them, in their immedi- 
ate presence through all eternity. Amen. 

* Jesus et Maria, amores mei dulcissimi, pro vobis patiar, pro 
vobis moriar ; sim totus vester, sim nihil meus. Ap. Auriem. 
Aff. sc. 


PRAYER TO THE BLESSED VIRGIN 


TO OBTAIN A GOOD DEATH. 


Oh Mary, sweet refuge of miserable sinners, at the 
moment when my soul departs from this world, my 
sweetest mother, by the grief that thou didst endure 
when thou wast present at the death of thy Son upon 
the cross, then assist me with thy mercy. Keep far 
from me my infernal enemies, and come thyself to take 
my soul and present it to my eternal Judge. Do not 
abandon me, oh my queen. Thou, next to Jesus, 
must be my comfort in that dreadful moment. En- 
treat thy Son that in his goodness, he will grant me 
the favor to die clasping thy feet, and to breathe out 
my soul in his sacred wounds, saying, Jesus and Mary, 
I give you my heart and my soul. 


5FIHE 






8 


3?A3B l aP IFHHii'aFs 

©If SHHH5 SA3W® lEMMiL 

It treats of the various and abundant graces which the 
mother of Q-od hestows on her devoted servants, in sev- 
eral discourses on the Salve Regina. 




/. < i • • ' • £ fca 

J, ' 










CHAPTER I. 


SALVE REGINA, MATER MISERICORDI^E. 
Hail queen, Mother of mercy. 


SECTION I. 

OF THE GREAT CONFIDENCE "WE SHOULD HAVE IN MART, BECAUSE 
SHE IS THE QUEEN OF MERCY. 

The Holy Church justly honors the great Virgin 
Mary, and would have her honored by all men with 
the glorious title of queen, because she has been ele- 
vated to the dignity of mother of the King of kings. 
If the Son is king, says St. Athanasius, his mother 
must necessarily be considered and entitled queen.* 
From the moment that Mary consented, adds St. Ber- 
nardine of Sienna, to become the mother of the Eternal 
Word, she merited the title of queen of the world and 
of all creatures.f If the flesh of Mary, says St. Ar- 
nold, abbot, was the flesh of Jesus, how can the 
mother be separated from the Son in his kingdom ? 
Hence it follows that the regal glory must not only be 


* Si ipse Rex est qui natus est de Virgine, mater, quae eum 
genuit, Regina et Domina proprie ac vere censetur. Serna, de 
Deip. 

t Hsec autem Virgo in illo consensu meruit primatum orbis, 
dominium mundi, sceptrum regni super omnes creaturas. Tom. 
2d, cap. 51. 


3 


26 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


considered as common to the mother and the Son, but 
even the same.* * * § 

If Jesus is king of the whole world, Mary is also 
queen of the whole world :f therefore, says St. Ber- 
nardine of Sienna, all creatures who serve God ought 
also to serve Mary ; for all angels and men, and all 
things that are in heaven and on earth being subject 
to the dominion of God, are also subject to the domin- 
ion of the glorious Virgin. J Hence Guerric, abbot, 
thus addresses the divine mother : Continue, Mary, 
continue in security to reign ; dispose, according to thy 
will, of every thing belonging to thy Son, for thou, 
being mother and spouse of the king of the world, the 
kingdom and power over all creatures is due to thee 
as queen. § 

Mary, then, is queen ; but let all learn for their con- 
solation that she «is a mild and merciful queen, desiring 
the good of us poor sinners. Hence the holy Church 

* Neque a dominatione filii Mater potest esse sejuncta, una 
est Mariae et Christi caro. 

Filii gloriam cum Matre, non tam communem judico, quam 
■camdem. S. Arnol. de Laud. Virg. 

t Regina constituta, totum jure possidet filii regnum. Ru- 
pert, abb. 

X Tot creaturaa serviunt glonosae Virgini, quot serviunt Trini- 
tati; omnes namque creaturae give angeli, sive homines, et 
omnia quae sunt in coelo et in terra, quia omnia sunt divino 
imperio subjecta, gloriosae Virgini sunt subjectae. Tom. 2, 
cap. 61. 

§ Perge Maria, perge secura in bonis filii tui ; fiducialiter age 
tamquam regina, mater regis et sponsa ; tibi debetur regnum et 
■potestas. 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


27 


bids us salute her in this prayer, and name her the 
Queen of Mercy. The very name of queen signifies, 
as blessed Albertus Magnus remarks, compassion, and 
provision for the poor ; differing in this from the title 
of empress, which signifies severity and rigor. The 
greatness of kings and queens consists in comforting 
the wretched, as Seneca says.* So that whereas ty- 
rants, in reigning, have only their own advantage in 
view, kings should have for their object the good of 
their subjects. Therefore at the consecration of kings 
their heads are anointed with oil, which is the symbol 
of mercy, to denote that they, in reigning, should above 
all things cherish thoughts of kindness and benefi- 
cence towards their subjects. 

Kings should then principally occupy themselves 
with works of mercy, but not to the neglect of the ex- 
ercise of justice towards the guilty, when it is required. 
Not so Mary, who, although queen, is not queen of 
justice, intent upon the punishment of the guilty, but 
queen of mercy, solely intent upon compassion and 
pardon for sinners. Accordingly, the Church requires 
us explicitly to call her queen of mercy. The High 
Chancellor of Paris, John Gerson, meditating on the 
words of David, “These two things have I heard, that 
power belongeth to God, and mercy to thee, 0 Lord,”f 
says, that the kingdom of God consisting of justice 
and mercy, the Lord has divided it ; he has reserved 

* Hoc reges habent magnificum, prodesse miseris. 

t Duo bsec audivi, quia potestas Dei est, et tibi, Domine, mis- 
ericordia. Psal. lxi. 12. 


28 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


the kingdom of justice for himself, and he has granted 
the kingdom of mercy to Mary, ordaining that all the 
mercies which are dispensed to men should pass 
through the hands of Mary, and should be bestowed 
according to her good pleasure.* * * § St. Thomas con- 
firms this in his preface to the Canonical Epistles, 
saying that the holy Virgin, when she conceived the 
divine Word in her womb, and brought him forth, 
obtained the half of the kingdom of God by be- 
coming queen of mercy, Jesus Christ remaining king 
of justice, j* 

The eternal Father constituted Jesus Christ king 
of justice, and therefore made him the universal judge 
of the world ; hence the prophet sang : “ Give to the 
king thy judgment, Oh God ; and to the king’s son 
thy justice.’’^ Here a learned interpreter takes up 
the subject, and says : Oh Lord, thou hast given to 
thy Son thy justice, because thou hast given to the 
mother of the king thy mercy.§ And St. Bonaventure 
happily varies the passage above quoted by saying: 
Give to the king thy judgment, Oh God, and to his 


* Regnum Dei consistit in potestate et misericordia ; potes- 
tate Deo remanente, cessit quodammodo misericordise pars ma- 
tri regnanti. Psal. iii. Tr. 4th, S. Magn. 

t Quando filium Dei in utero concepit, et post modum pe- 
perit, dimidiam partem regni Dei impetravit, ut ipsa sit regina 
miserieordi®, nt Christus est rex justiti®. 

X Dais judicium tuum regi da ; et justitiam tuam filio regis. 
Psal. lxxi. 2. 

§ Quia misericordiam tuam dedisti Matri Eegis. 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


29 


mother thy mercy. 1 * Ernest, Archbishop of Prague, 
also says, that the eternal Father has given to the 
Son the office of judging and punishing, and to the 
mother the office of compassionating and relieving the 
wretched, f Therefore the Prophet David pre- 
dicted that God himself, if I may thus express it, 
would consecrate Mary queen of mercy, anointing her 
with the oil of gladness, J in order that all of us miser- 
able children of Adam might rejoice in the thought 
of having in heaven that great queen, so full of the 
unction of mercy and pity for us ; as St. Bonaventure 
says : Oh Mary, so full of the unction of mercy and 
the oil of pity, that God has anointed thee with the 
oil of gladness !§ 

And how well does blessed Albertus Magnus here 
apply the histoiy of Queen Esther, who was indeed a 
type of our Queen Mary! We read in the 4th chap, 
of the Book of Esther, that in the reign of King Assu- 
erus, there went forth, throughout his kingdom, a de- 
cree commanding the death of all the Jews. Then 
Mardochai, who was one of the condemned, committed 
their cause to Esther, that she might intercede with 
the king to obtain the revocation of the sentence. At 
first Esther refused to take upon herself this office, 

* Deus judicium tuum regi da, et misericordiam tuam matri 
ejus. 

f Pater omne judicium dedit filio, et omne officium miseri- 
cordial dedit matri. 

% Unxit te Deus oleo lsetitise. Psal. xliv. 8. 

§ Maria, plena unctione misericordise et oleo pietatis; prop- 

terea unxit te Deus oleo laetitiae. In spec., cap. 7. 

8 * 


30 


GLORIES OF MART. 


fearing that it would excite the anger of the king 
more. But Mardochai rebuked her, and bade her re- 
member that she must not think of saving herself 
alone, as the Lord had placed her upon the throne to 
obtain salvation for all the Jews : “ Think not that 
thou mayest save thy life only, because thou art in the 
king’s house, more than all the Jews.”* Thus said 
Mardochai to Queen Esther, and thus might we poor 
sinners say to our Queen Mary, if she were ever re- 
luctant to intercede with God for our deliverance from 
the just punishment of our sins. Think not that thou 
mayest save thy life only, because thou art in the 
king’s house, more than all men. Think not, oh 
Lady, that God has exalted thee to be queen of the 
world, only to secure thy own welfare ; but also that 
thou, being so greatly elevated, mayest the more com- 
passionate and the better relieve us miserable sin- 
ners. 

Assuerus, when he saw Esther before him, affec- 
tionately inquired of her what she had come to ask of 
him : “ What is thy petition ?” Then the queen an- 
swered, “If I have found favor in thy sight, oh 
king, give me my people for which I request. ”f As- 
suerus heard her, and immediately ordered the sen- 
tence to be revoked. Now, if Assuerus granted to 
Esther, because he loved her, the salvation of the Jews, 

* Ne putes quod animam tuam tantum liberes, quia in domo 
regis es prse cunctis Judseis. Esth. iv. 15. 

t Quae est petitio tua ? Si inveni gratiam in oculis tuis o rex, 
dona mihi populum meum, pro quo obsecro. 


GLORIES OF MARY. 31 

will not God graciously listen to Mary, in his bound- 
less love for her, when she prays to him for those 
poor sinners who recommend themselves to her and 
says to him : If I have found favor in thy sight, oh 
King, my King and my God, if I have ever found 
favor with Thee (and well does the divine mother 
know herself to be the blessed, the fortunate, the only 
one of the children of men who found the grace lost 
by man ; she knows herself to be the beloved of her 
Lord, more beloved than all the saints and angels 
united), give me my people for which I request : if 
thou lovest me, she says to him, give me, oh my Lord, 
these sinners in whose behalf I entreat Thee. Is it 
possible that God will not graciously hear her ? Is 
there any one who does not know the power of Mary’s 
prayers with God ? The law of clemency is on her 
tongue.* Every prayer of hers is as a law established 
by our Lord, that mercy shall be exercised towards 
those for whom Mary intercedes. St. Bernard asks. 
Why does the Church name Mary Queen of Mercy ? 
and answers, Because we believe that she opens the 
depths of the mercy of God, to whom she will, when 
she will, and as she will ; so that not even the vilest 
sinner is lost, if Mary protects him.f 

But it may, perhaps, be feared that Mary disdains 

* Lex dementia; in lingua ejus. Prov. xxxi. 26. 

+ Quod divinae pietatis abyssum cui vult, quando vult et quo- 
modo vult, creditur aperire ; ut nemo tam enormis peccator pe- 
reat, cui sancta sanctorum pratrocinii suffragia praestat. In Salve 
Regina. 


32 


GLORIES OF MART. 


interposing in behalf of some sinners, because she 
finds them so laden with sins ? Perhaps the majesty 
and sanctity of this great queen should alarm us? 
No, says St. Gregory, in proportion to her greatness 
and holiness are her clemency and mercy towards 
sinners who desire to amend, and who have recourse 
to her.* Kings and queens inspire terror by the dis- 
play of their majesty, and their subjects fear to enter 
their presence ; but what fear, says St. Bernard, can 
the wretched have of going to this queen of mercy, 
since she never shows herself terrible or austere to 
those who seek her, but all sweetness and kindness ?f 
Mary not only gives, but she herself presents to us 
milk and wool : the milk of mercy to inspire us with 
confidence, and wool to shield us from the thunder- 
bolts of divine justice ! 

Suetonius narrates of the Emperor Titus, that he 
never could refuse a favor to any one who asked it, 
and that he even sometimes promised more than he 
could perform ; and he answered to one who admon- 
ished him of this, that a prince should not dismiss any 
one from his presence dissatisfied. Titus said this, but, 
in reality, was perhaps often either guilty of falsehood, 
or failed in his promises. But our queen cannot lie, 
and can obtain whatever she wishes for her devoted 


* Maria quanto altior et sanctior, tanto clementior et dulcior 
circa conversos peccatores. Lib. 1, ep. 47. 

t Quid ad Mariam accedere trepidat humana fragilitas ? Nihil 
austerum in ea, nihil terribile ; tota suavia est, omnibus offerens 
lac et lanam. Super Sign. Magn. 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


33 


servants. She has a heart so kind and compassionate, 
says Blosius, that she cannot send away dissatisfied 
any one who invokes her aid.* But, as St. Bernard 
says, how couldst thou, oh Mary, refuse succor to the 
wretched, when thou art queen of mercy ? and who 
are the subjects of mercy, if not the miserable ? Thou 
art the queen of mercy, and I the most miserable of 
all sinners ; if I, then, am the first of thy subjects, then 
thou shouldst have more care of me than of all 
others. j- 

Have pity on us, then, oh queen of mercy, and give 
heed to our salvation ; neither say to us, oh most holy 
Virgin, as St. Gregory of Nicomedia would add, that 
thou canst not aid us because of the multitude of our 
sins, when thou hast such power and pity that no 
number of sins can ever surpass it ! Nothing resists 
thy power, since thy Creator and ours, while he honors 
thee as his mother, considers thy glory as his own, and 
exulting in it, as a Son, grants thy petitions as if he 
were discharging an obligation.]; By this he means to 
say, that though Mary is under an infinite obligation 


* Ita benigna est, ut neminem tristem redire sinat. Lib. 4, 
c. 12. 

t Tu es regina misericordiae, et ego miserrimus peccator, sub- 
ditorum maximus. Rege nos ergo, o regina misericordiae. In 
Salv. Reg. 

X Habes vires insuperabiles, ne clementiam tuam superet mul- 
titude peccatorum. Nihil tuae resistet potentiae; tuam enim 
gloriam Creator existimat esse propriam, et filius in ea exultans, 
quasi exsolvens debitum, implet petitiones tuas. Or. de exitu, 
B. V. 


34 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


to her Son for having elected her to be his mother, 
yet it cannot be denied that the Son also is greatly 
indebted to his mother for having given him his hu- 
man nature ; whence Jesus, as if to recompense Mary 
as he ought, while he enjoys this his glory, honors 
her especially by always graciously listening to her 
prayers. 

How great then should be our confidence in this 
queen, knowing how powerful she is with God, and 
at the same time how rich and full of mercy ; so much 
so that there is no one on earth who does not share 
in the mercies and favors of Mary ! This the blessed 
Virgin herself revealed to St. Bridget : “I am,” she 
said to her, “ the queen of heaven and the mother of 
mercy ; I am the joy of the just, and the gate of en- 
trance for sinners to God ; neither is there living on 
earth a sinner who is so accursed that he is deprived 
of my compassion ; for every one, if he receives no- 
thing else through my intercession, receives the grace 
of being less tempted by evil spirits than he otherwise 
would be; no one, therefore,” she added, “who is 
not entirely accursed” (by which is meant the final 
and irrevocable malediction pronounced against the 
damned), is so entirely cast off by God that he may 
not return and enjoy his mercy if he invokes my aid. 
I am called by all the mother of mercy, and truly the 
mercy of God towards men has made, me so merciful 
towards them.” And then she concluded by saying, 
“ Therefore he shall be miserable, and forever miser- 
able in another fife, who in this, being able, does not 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


35 


have recourse to me, who am so compassionate to 
all, and so earnestly desire to aid sinners.”* 

Let us then have recourse, let us always have re- 
course to this most sweet queen, if we would be sure 
of our salvation ; and if the sight of our sins terrifies 
and disheartens us, let us remember that Mary was 
made queen of mercy for this very end, that- she might 
save by her protection the greatest and most aban- 
doned sinners who have recourse to her. They are 
to be her crown in heaven, as her divine spouse has 
said : “ Come from Libanus, my spouse, come from 
Libanus, come ; thou shalt be crowned from the dens 
of the lions, from the mountains of the leopards.”f 
And what are these dens of wild beasts and monsters, 
if not miserable sinners, whose souls become dens of 
sins, the most deformed monsters? Now, by these 
same sinners, as Rupert, the abbot, remarks, who are 
saved by thy means, oh great Queen Mary, thou wilt 
be crowned in heaven ; for their salvation will be thy 


* Ego regina coeli; ego mater miseri cordite ; ego justorum 
gaudium et aditus peccatorum ad Deum. Nullus est adeo male- 
dictus, qui quamdiu vivit careat misericordia mea ; quia propter 
me levius tentatur a daamonibus, quam alias tentaretur. Nullus 
est ita abjectus a Deo, nisi fuerit omnino maledictus, qui si me 
invocaverit, non revertatur ad Deum, et habiturus sit miseri- 
cordiam. Ego vocor ab omnibus mater misericordise, *et vere 
misericordia illius misericordem me fecit. Ideo miser erit 
qui ad misericordem, cum possit, non accedit. Eev. Lib. 1, 
cap. 6. 

t Veni de Libano, sponsa mea, veni de Libano, veni ; corona- 
beris . . . . de cubilibus leonum, de montibus pardorum. 
Cant. 4, 8. 


36 


GLORIES OF MART. 


crown, a crown indeed worthy and fit for a queen of 
mercy ;* and let the following example illustrate this. 

EXAMPLE. 

We read in the life of sister Catherine, an Augus- 
tinian nun, that in the place where that servant of God 
lived, there lived also a woman named Mary, who, in 
her youth, was a sinner, and obstinately persevered in 
her evil courses, even to extreme old age. For this 
she was banished by her fellow- citizens, forced to live 
in a cave beyond the limits of the place, and died in 
a state of loathsome corruption, abandoned by all, and 
without the sacraments ; and on this account was 
buried in a field, like a beast. Now sister Catherine, 
who was accustomed to recommend very affection- 
ately to God the souls of those who had departed this 
life, after learning the miserable death of this poor old 
woman, did not think of praying for her, as she and 
every one else believed her already among the damned. 
Four years having past, a soul from purgatory one 
day appeared to her, and said, “ Sister Catherine, how 
unhappy is my fate ! you commend to God the souls 
of all those who die, and for my soul alone you have 
had no pity.” “ And who are you ?” said the servant 
of God. “I am,” answered she, “that poor Mary 
who died in the cave.” “ How ! are you saved ?” 
exclaimed sister Catherine. “Yes, I am saved,” she 

* De talium leonum cubicuiis tu coronaberis. Eorum salus 
corona tua erit. Rup. Yid. 1. 3, in Cant. 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


37 


said, “by the mercy of the Virgin Mary.” “And 
how ?” “ When I saw death drawing near, finding 

myself laden with sins, and abandoned by all, I turned 
to the mother of God and said to her, Lady, thou art 
the refuge of the abandoned, behold me at this hour 
deserted by all ; thou art my only hope, thou alone 
canst help me ; have pity on me. The holy Virgin 
obtained for me the grace of making an act of contri- 
tion ; I died and am saved, and my queen has also 
obtained for me the grace that my pains should be 
abridged, and that I should, by suffering intensely for a 
short time, pass through that purification which other- 
wise would have lasted many years. A few masses 
only are needed to obtain my release from purgatory ; 
I pray thee cause them to be offered for me, and I 
promise to pray God and Mary for thee.” Sister 
Catherine immediately caused those masses to be said 
for her, and that soul, after a few days, appeared to- 
her again, more brilliant than the sun, and said to her,. 
“ I thank thee, sister Catherine : behold, I am now 
going to paradise to sing the mercy of God and pray 
for thee.” 


PRAYER. 

Oh Mother of my God and my Lady Mary, as- a poor- 
wounded and loathsome wretch presents himself to a 
great queen, I present myself to thee, who- art the 
queen of heaven and earth. From the lofty throne 
on which thou art seated, do not disdain, I pray thee, 
to cast thy eyes upon me, a poor sinner. God hath 

' 4 


38 


GLORIES OF MART. 


made thee so rich in order that thou mayest succor 
the needy, and hath made thee qiieen of mercy that 
thou mayest help the miserable, look upon me, then, 
and have pity on me. Look upon me, and do not 
leave me until thou hast changed me from a sinner 
into a saint. I see I merit nothing, or rather I merit 
for my ingratitude to be deprived of all the graces 
which, by thy means, I have received from the Lord. 
But thou, who art the mother of mercy, dost not re- 
quire merits, but miseries, that thou mayest succor 
those who are in need ; and who is more poor and 
more needy than I ? 

Oh glorious Virgin, I know that thou, being queen 
of the universe, art also my queen ; and I, in a more 
especial manner, would dedicate myself to thy ser- 
vice; that thou mayest dispose of me as seemeth 
best to thee. Therefore I say to thee with St. Bona- 
venture, Oh, Lady, I submit myself to thy con- 
trol, that thou mayest rule and govern me entirely. 
Do not leave me to myself.* Rule me, oh my queen, 
and do not leave me to myself. Command me, em- 
ploy me as thou wilt, and punish me if I do not obey 
thee, for very salutary will be the punishments that 
eome from thy hand. I would esteem it a greater 
thing to be thy servant than Lord of the whole earth. 
Thine I am , save me !\ Accept me, oh Mary, for thy 
own, and attend to my salvation, as I am thine own. 

* Domna, me tuae dominationi volo committere, ut me ple- 
narie 'regas et gubernes. Non mihi me relinquas. 

t Taus sum ego, salvum me fac. 


G L OKIES OF MARY. 


39 


I no longer will be my own, I give myself to thee. 
And if hitherto I have so poorly served thee, having 
lost so many good occasions of honoring thee, for the 
time to come I will unite myself to thy most loving 
and most faithful servants. 'No one from this time 
henceforth shall surpass me in honoring and loving 
thee, my most lovely queen. This I promise, and 
this I hope to perform with thy assistance. Amen.” 

0 

SECTION II. 

HOW MUCH GREATER SHOULD BE OUR CONFIDENCE IN MARY BECAUSE 
SHE IS OUR MOTHER. 

Not by chance, nor in vain, do the servants of 
Mary call her mother, and it would seem that they 
cannot invoke her by any other name, and are never 
weary of calling her mother ; mother, indeed, for she 
is truly our mother, not according to the flesh, but 
the spiritual mother of our souls and of our salvation. 
Sin, when it deprived our souls of divine grace, also 
deprived them of life. Hence, when they were dead 
in misery and sin, Jesus our. Redeemer came with an 
excess of mercy and love to restore to us, by his death 
upon the cross, that lost life, as he has himself de- 
clared : “I am come that they may have life, and may 
have it more abundantly.”* More abundantly, be- 
cause, as the theologians teach us, Jesus Christ by his 

* Veni, ut vitam liabeant, ct abundantius habeant. Joan 
x. 10. 


40 


GLORIES OF MART. 


redemption brought us blessings greater than the in- 
jury Adam inflicted upon us by his sin ; he reconciled 
us to God, and thus became the father of our souls, 
under the new law of grace, as the prophet Isaiah 
predicted: “The Father of the world to come, the 
Prince of peace.”* But if Jesus is the father of our 
souls, Maiy is the mother ; for, in giving us Jesus, she 
gave us the true life ; and offering upon Calvary the 
life of her Son for our salvation, she then thought us 
forth to the life of divine grace. 

At two different times, then, as the holy Fathers 
show us, Mary became our spiritual mother ; the first 
when she was found worthy of conceiving in her vir- 
ginal womb the Son of God, as the blessed Albertus 
Magnus says. 

St. Bernardine of Sienna more distinctly teaches us 
that when the most holy Virgin, on the annunciation 
of the angel, gave her consent to become mother of 
the eternal Word, which he awaited before making 
himself her Son, she by this consent even from that 
time demanded of God, with lively affection, our sal- 
vation ; and she was so earnestly engaged in obtaining 
it, that from that time she has borne us, as it were, 
in her womb, as a most loving mother, f 


* Pater futuri sseculi, princeps pacis. Isa. ix. 6. 
t Virgo per liunc consensum in incarnatione filii omnium sa- 
lutem vigorosissime expetiit et procuravit; et omnium salva- 
tioni per liunc consensum so dedicavit, ita ut ex tunc omnes in 
suis visceribus bajulat, tanquam verissima mater filios suos. 
Tr. d'e R V. serm. 6. 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


41 


St. Luke says, speaking of the birth of our Saviour, 
that Mary “ brought forth her first-born son.”* 
Therefore, says a certain writer, if the evangelist af- 
firms that Mary brought forth her first-born, is it to 
be supposed that she afterwards had other children ? 
But the same author adds : If it is of faith that Mary 
had no other children according to the flesh except 
Jesus, then she must have other spiritual children, and 
these we are.f Our Lord revealed this to St. Ger- 
trude, who, reading one day the passage of the Gos- 
pel just quoted, was troubled, not knowing how to 
understand it, that Mary being mother of Jesus Christ 
alone, it could be said that he was her first-born. 
And God explained it to her, by telling her that Jesus 
was her first-born according to the flesh, but that men 
were her second-born according to the spirit. 

And this explains what is said of Mary in the holy 
Canticles : “ Thy belly is as a heap of wheat, set about 
with lilies.”]; St. Ambrose explains this and says : Al- 
though in the pure womb of Mary there was only one 
grain of wheat, which was Jesus Christ, yet it is called 
a heap of grain, because in that one grain were con- 
tained all the elect, of whom Mary was to be the 
mother.§ Hence, William the Abbot wrote, Mary, 

* Peperit filium suum primogenitum. Luc. cap. ii. 7. 

+ Si primogenitus, ergo alii filii secuti sunt secundogeniti ?' 
Carnales nullos habet B. Virgo, prseter Christum ; ergo spiritu- 
als habeat necesse est. 

X Venter tuus sicut acervus tritici, vallatus liliis. Cant. vii. 2- 

§ Unum granum frumenti fuit in utero Virginia, Christus 
Dominus; et tamen acervus tritici dicitur, quia granum ho© 
4 * 


42 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


in bringing forth Jesus, who is our Saviour and 
our life, brought forth all of us to life and salva- 
tion.* 

The second time in which Mary brought us forth to 
grace was, when on Calvary, she offered to the eternal 
Father with so much sorrow of heart the life of her 
beloved Son for our salvation. Wherefore, St. Au- 
gustine asserts, that, having then co-operated by her 
love with Christ in the birth of the faithful to the life 
of grace, she became also by this eo-operation the 
spiritual mother of us all, who are members of our 
head, Jesus Christ.f This is also the meaning of what 
is said of the blessed Virgin in the sacred Canticles : 
“ They have made me the keeper in the vineyards ; 
my vineyard I have not kept.”J Maty, to save our 
souls, was willing to sacrifice the life of her Son,§ as 
William the Abbot remarks. And who was the soul 
of Mary, but her Jesus, who was her life and all her 
love ? Wherefore St. Simeon announced to her that 
her soul would one day be pierced by a sword of sor- 


virtute omnes electos continet, ut ipse sit primogenitu3 in multis 
fratribus. De Instit. Virg. 

* In illo uno fructu, in uno salvatore omnium Jesu plurimos 
Maria peperit ad salutem. Pariendo vitam, multos peperit ad 
vitam. In Cant. iv. 13. 

t Ilia spiritu mater est membrorum salvatoris, quia cooperata 
est charitate, ut fideles in ecclesia nascerentur. De Virg. cap. 6. 

X Posuit me custodem in vineis ; vineam meam non custo- 
divi. Cant. i. 5. 

§ Ut multas animas salvas faceret, animam suam morti expo- 
suit. 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


43 


l-ow;* which was the very spear that pierced the 
side of Jesus, who was the soul of Mary. And then 
she in her sorrow brought us forth to eternal life ; so 
that we may all call ourselves children of the dolors 
of Mary. She, our most loving mother, was always 
and wholly united to the divine will ; whence St. Bo- 
naventure remarks, that when she saw the love of the 
eternal Father for men, who would have his Son die 
for our salvation, and the love of the Son in wishing to 
die for us, she too, with her whole will, offered her 
Son and consented that he should die that we might 
be saved, in order to conform herself to that exceeding 
love of the Father and Son for the human race.f 
It is true that, in dying for the redemption of the 
world, Jesus wished to be alone. I have trodden the 
wine-press alone, J “ Torcular calcavi solus.” But when 
God saw the great desire of Mary to devote herself 
also to the salvation of men, he ordained that by the 
sacrifice and offering of the life of this same J esus, she 
might co-operate with him in the work of our salva- 
tion, and thus become mother of our souls. And this 
our Saviour signified, when, before expiring, he saw 
from the cross his mother and the disciple St. John 
both standing near him, and first spoke to Mary: 

* Et tuam ipsius animam doloris gladius pertransibit: Luc. 
ii. 35. 

t Nullo modo dubitandum est, quia Marias animus voluil etiam 
tradcre filium suum pro salute generis bumani, ut mater per 
omnia conformis fieret Patri et Filio. 

X Isa. lxiii. 3. 


44 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


Behold thy son, “ Ecce filius tuus ;”* * * § as if he said to 
her : Behold the man who, by the offering thou hast 
made of my life for his salvation, is already born to 
grace. And then turning to the disciple, he said : 
Behold thy mother, “ Ecce mater tua.”f By which 
words, says St. Bernardine of Sienna, Mary was then 
made mother not only of St. John, but of all men, 
for the love she bore them.£ On this account, as 
Silveira observes, St. John himself, when recording 
this fact in his Gospel, wrote, “ After that he said to 
the disciple : “ Behold thy motlier.”§ Let it be re- 
marked that Jesus Christ did not say this to John, 
but to the disciple, to signify that the Saviour ap- 
pointed Mary for common mother of all those who, 
being Christians, bear the name of his disciples. || 

I am the mother of fair love, IT “ E g° sum mater 
pulchrse dilectionis,” said Mary ; because her love, as 
an author remarks, which renders the souls of men 
beautiful in the eye of God, prompts her, as a loving 
mother, to receive us for her children.** And as a 
mother loves her children, and watches over their 

* Joan. six. 26. 

f Deinde dicit discipulo : Ecce mater tua. Joan. xix. 27. 

t In Joanne intelligimus omnes, quorum B. Virgo perdilecti- 
onem facta est mater. Tom. 1, Serm. 55. 

§ Deinde dicit discipulo : Ecce mater tua. Joan. xix. 27. 

1 Joannes est nomen particulare, diseipulus commune, ut de- 
notetur quod Maria omnibus detur in matrem. 

T Ego sum mater pulchras dilectionis. Eccli. xxiv. 24. 

** Quia tota est amor erga nos, quos in filios recepit. Paciucch. 
de B. V. 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


45 


welfare, so thou, oh our most sweet queen, lovest us, 
and dost procure our happiness, says St. Bona venture.* * * § 
Oh, happy those who live under the protection of 
a mother so loving and so powerful ! The prophet 
David, although Maiy was not yet bom, besought of 
•God salvation, by dedicating himself to Mary as her 
son, and thus prayed : “ Save the son of thy hand- 
maid.”! “ Whose handmaid ?” asks St. Augustine :J 
“ she who says : Behold the handmaid of the Lord.”§ 
And who, says the Cardinal Bellarmine, who would 
dare to snatch these children from the bosom of Mary, 
where they have taken refuge from their enemies ? 
What fury of hell or of passion can conquer them, if 
they place their trust in the protection of this great 
mother? || It is narrated of the whale, that when she 
sees her young in peril, from the tempest or their pur- 
suers, she opens her mouth and receives them into her 
bowels. Just so, says ISTovarino, does this compassion- 
ate mother of the faithful, when the tempest of the 
passions is raging. She then, with maternal affection, 
protects them as it were in her own bowels, and con- 
tinues to shelter them until she has placed them in the 

* Nonne plus sine comparatione nos diligis, ac bona nostra 
procuras, quam mater carnalis ? 

t Salvum fac filium ancillae tuae. Psal. lxxxv. 16. 

X Cujus ancillae ? 

§ Quae dit ; Ecce ancilla Domini. In Psal. lxxxv. 

| Quam bene nobis erit sub praesidio tantae matris ? Quis de- 
traliere audebit de sinu ejus ? Quae nos tentatio, aut turbatio su- 
perare poterit confidentes in patrocinio matris Dei et nostrae ? 
Pell, de sept verb. 


46 


GLORIES OF MART. 


secure haven of paradise.* Oh, most loving mother ! 
Oh, most compassionate mother, be ever blessed ! and 
may that God be ever blessed, who has given us thee 
as a mother, and as a secure refuge in all the dangers 
of this life. The blessed Virgin herself revealed this 
to St. Bridget, saying :“As a mother who sees her son 
exposed to the sword of the enemy, makes every 
effort to save him, thus do I, and will I ever do 
for my children, sinful though they be, if they come 
to me for help.”f Behold, then, how in every battle 
with hell we shall always conquer, and certainly con- 
quer, if we have recourse to the mother of God and 
our mother, always repeating : “We fly to thy pro- 
tection, oh holy mother of God ; we fly to thy pro- 
tection, oh holy mother of God.”J Oh, how many 
victories have the faithful obtained over hell, by having 
recourse to Mary with this short but powerful prayer ! 
That great servant of God, sister Mary of the Cru- 
cifixion, a Benedictine nun, by this means always con 
quered the evil spirits. 

Be joyful, then, all ye children of Mary ; remember 
that she adopts as her children all those who wish her 
for their mother. Joyful; for what fear have you of 
being lost when this mother defends and protects you ? 


* Fidelium piissima mater, furente tentationum tempestate, 
materno affectu eos, velut intra viscera propria receptos protegit, 
donee in bcatum portum reponat. V. cap. 14, exc. 81. 

t Ita ego facio, et faciam omnibus peccatoribus misericordiam 
meam petentibus. Lib. 4, c. 38. 

% Sub tuum presidium confugimus, sancta Dei genitrix. 


GLORIES OF MARY. 47 

Thus says St. Bonaventure : Every one who loves this 
good mother and trusts in her protection, should take 
courage and repeat : What do you fear, oh my soul ? 
The cause of thy eternal salvation will not be lost, as 
the final sentence depends upon Jesus, who is thy 
brother, and upon Mary, who is thy mother.* And 
St. Anselm, full of joy at this thought, exclaims, in 
order to encourage us : Oh, blessed confidence ! Oh, 
secure refuge ! The mother of God is my mother 
also. With what certainty may we hope, since our 
salvation depends upon the sentence of a good brother 
and of a kind mother !f Hear, then, our mother who 
calls us, and says to us : “ Whosoever is a little one, 
let him come to me/’J Little children have always on 
their lips the word mother, and in all the dangers to 
which they are exposed, and in all their fears, they 
cry, mother, mother ! Ah, most sweet Mary ! Ah, 
most loving mother ! this is exactly what thou dost 
desire ; that we become little children, and always call 
upon thee in our dangers, and always have recourse to 
thee, for thou wishest to aid and save us, as thou hast 
saved all thy children who have had recourse to 
thee. 

* Die, anima mea, cum magna fiducia : Exultabo et laetabor, 
quia quicquid judicabitur de me pendet ex sententia fratris et 
matris meae. 

t Ob beata fiducia, oh tutum refugium ! Mater Dei est ma- 
ter mea. Qua certitudine igitur debemus sperare, quoniam 
salus de boni fratris et piae matris pendet arbitrio ! In Depr. 
ad. V. 

X Si quis est parvulus, veniat ad me. Prov. ix. 4. 


48 


GLORIES OF MART. 


EXAMPLE. 

In the history of the foundations of the Company 
of Jesus, in the kingdom of Naples, is related the fol- 
lowing story of a noble youth of Scotland, named 
William Elphinstone. He was a relation of King 
James. Born a heretic, he followed the false sect to 
which he belonged ; but enlightened by divine grace, 
which showed him his errors, he went to France, 
where, with the assistance of a good Jesuit father, who 
was like himself a Scotchman, and still more by the 
intercession of the blessed Virgin, he at length saw the 
truth, abjured heresy, and became a Catholic. He 
went afterwards to Rome, where a friend of his found 
him one day very much afflicted, and weeping. He 
asked him the cause, and he answered, that in the 
night his mother had appeared to him and said : “ My 
son, it is well for thee that thou hast entered the true 
Church ; I am already lost, because I died in heresy.” 
From that time he became more fervent in his devo- 
tion to Mary, chose her for his mother, and by her 
was inspired to become a religious. He made a vow 
to do so, but being ill, he went to Naples to restore 
his health by a change of air. But the Lord ordered 
it so that he should die in Naples, and die a reli- 
gious ; for, having become dangerously ill soon after 
his arrival there, he by prayers and tears obtained from 
the superiors admittance, and when about receiv- 
ing the viaticum, he made his vows in presence of the 
blessed sacrament, and was enrolled in the society. 


GLORIES OF MARY. 4S 

After this, in the tenderness of his feelings, he gave 
thanks to his mother Mary for having rescued him 
from heresy, and brought him to die in the true 
Church, and in a religious house in the midst of his 
brethren. Therefore, he exclaimed : “ Oh ! how glo- 
rious it is to die in the midst of so many angels !” 
Being exhorted to take a little rest, he answered : “Ah, 
this is not the time to rest when the end of my life is 
drawing near.” Before dying, he said to the persons 
present: “Brethren, do you not see the angels of 
heaven around me?” One of the religious having 
heard him murmuring something to himself, asked him 
what he had said. He answered, that his angel-guar- 
dian had revealed to him that he should be in purga- 
tory but a short time, and would soon enter paradise. 
Then he began again to talk with his sweet mother 
Mary, and repeating the word, mother, mother, he 
tranquilly expired, like a child falling asleep in the 
arins of its mother. Soon after, it was revealed to a 
devout religious that he had already entered paradise. 

PRAYER. 

Oh, my most holy mother, how is it possible that, 
having so holy a mother, I should be so wicked ? A 
mother so inflamed with love to God, and that I 
should so love creatures ? A mother so rich in vir- 
tue, and that I should be so poor? Oh, my most 
amiable mother ! I no longer deserve, it is true, to be 
thy son, because by my bad life I have rendered myself 
unworthy. I am content if thou wilt accept me as 
5 


50 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


thy servant. I am ready to renounce all the king- 
doms of the earth, to be admitted among the lowest 
of thy servants. Yes, I am content, but do not for- 
bid me to call thee my mother. This name wholly 
consoles me, melts me, and reminds me of my obliga- 
tion to love thee. This name encourages me to con- 
fide in thee. When I am the most terrified at the 
thought of my sins and of the divine justice, I feel 
myself comforted by the remembrance that thou art 
my mother. Permit me, then, to call thee my mother, 
my sweetest mother. Thus I call thee, and thus I will 
ever call thee. Thou, next to God, shalt always be 
my hope, my refuge, and my love, in this valley of 
tears! And thus I hope to die, commending my soul, 
at the last moment, into thy sacred hands, saying: 
“ My mother, my mother Mary, help me, have pity 
on me.” Amen. 


SECTION III. 

HOW GREAT IS THE LOVE OF OUR MOTHER FOR US. 

If, then, Mary is our mother, let us consider how 
much she loves us. The love of parents for their 
children is a necessary love, and for this reason, as St. 
Thomas observes,* children are commanded in the 
divine law to love their parents ; but there is no com- 
mand, on the other hand, given to parents to love 


Opusc. 60, cap. 4 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


51 


their children, for love towards one’s own offspring is 
a love so deeply planted in the heart by nature her- 
self, that even the wild beasts, as St. Ambrose says, 
never fail to love their young.* * * § It is said that even 
tigers, hearing the cry of their whelps when they are 
taken by the hunters, will plunge into the sea to swim 
after the vessels where they are confined. If, then, 
says our most loving mother Mary, even tigers cannot 
forget their young, how can I forget to love you, my 
children ? And, she adds, even if it should happen 
that a mother could forget her child, it is not possible 
that I can forget a soul which is my child.f 

Mary is our mother, not according to the flesh, but 
by love : “I am the mother of fair love.”J Hence she 
becomes our mother only on account of the love she 
bears us ; and she glories, says a certain author, in 
being the mother of love ; because, having taken us 
for her children, she is all love towards us.§ Who can 
describe the love of Mary for us miserable creatures ? 
Arnold of Carnotensis says that, at the death of Je- 
sus Christ, she ardently desired to die with her Son 
for our sake. || So that, as St. Ambrose adds, when 

* Nat ura hoc bestiis infundit, ut catulos parvulos ament. 
Lib. 6, Exa. c. 4. 

t Nunquid oblivisci potest mulier infantem suum, ut non 
misereatur filio uteri sui ? Et si ilia oblita fuerit ego tamen non 
obliviscar tui. Isa. xlix. 1 5. 

X Ego mater pulchrae dilectionis. Eecl. xxiv. 24. 

§ Se dilectionis esse matrem gloriatur, quia tota est amor erga 
nos, quos in filios recepit. raciucch. 

0 Flagrabat Virgo sestuante charitate incensa, ut pro humani 


52 


GLORIES OF MART. 


her Son hung dying on the cross, Mary offered herself 
to his murderers, that she might give her life for us.* 

But let us consider the reasons of this love, for thus 
we shall better understand how this good mother 
loves us. The first reason of the great love that 
Mary bears to men, is the great love she bears to 
God. Love to God and man is contained in the same 
precept, as St. John has written: “This command- 
ment we have from God, that he who loveth God, 
love also his brother ;”f so that one increases as the 
other increases. Hence what have the saints not done 
for love of the neighbor, because they have loved God 
so much ? They have gone so far as to expose and 
lose liberty and even life for his salvation. Let us 
read what St. Francis Xavier did in India, where, 
for the sake of the souls of those barbarians, he climbed 
mountains, and exposed himself to innumerable dan- 
gers to find those wretched beings, in the caverns 
where they dwelt like wild beasts, and to lead them to 
God. St. Francis de Sales, to convert the heretics of 
the province of Chablais, risked his life by crossing a 
river every day for a year, on his hands and knees, up- 
on a frozen beam, that he might go to the other side to 
preach to those stubborn men. St. Paulinus became 

generis salute simul cum prole profunderet vitam. Tract, de 
Verb. Dom. 

* Pendebat in cruce filius, mater persecutoribus se offerebat. 
De Inst. Virg. c. 7. 

t Hoc mandatum babemus a Deo, ut qui diligit Deum, diii- 
gat et fratrem suum. 1 Joan. iv. 21. 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


53 


a slave, to obtain liberty for the son of a poor widow. 
St. Fidelis, to bring the heretics of a certain place back 
to God, willingly consented, in preaching to them, to 
lose his life. The saints, then, because they have 
loved God so much, have done much for love of the 
neighbor. But who has loved God more than Mary ? 
She loved God more, in the first moment of her life, 
than all the saints and angels have loved him in the 
whole course of theirs ; as we shall consider at length, 
when we speak of the virtues of Mary. She herself 
revealed to sister Mary of the Crucifixion,* that the 
fire of love with which she burned for God was so 
great, that it would in a moment inflame heaven and 
earth ; and that, in comparison to it, all the flames of 
the burning love of the seraphim were as cool breezes. 
Therefore, as there is none among the blessed spirits 
who loves God more than Mary ; so there is, and can 
be none, except God, who loves us more than this 
our most loving mother. If the love of all mothers 
for their children, of all husbands for their wives, and 
of all saints and angels for their devoted servants, were 
united, it would not be so great as the love that Mary 
bears to one soul alone. Father Nierembergh says that 
the love which all mothers have borne to their children 
is a shadow when compared with the love which Mary 
bears to any one of us. Truly she alone loves us 
more, he adds, than all the angels and saints united. 

Moreover, our mother loves us much, because we 

* Vita, Lib. 2, cap. 5. 

5 * 


54 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


have been commended to her as children by her be- 
loved Jesus, when, before expiring, he said to her : 
“ Woman, behold thy son signifying by the person 
of John, all men, as we have before remarked. These 
were the last words of her Son to her. The last re- 
membrances left by beloved friends at the moment of 
their death are greatly valued, and the memory of 
them is never lost. Moreover, we are children ex- 
tremely dear to Mary, because we cost her so much 
suffering. Those children are much dearer to a 
mother whose lives she has preserved : — we are those 
children, for whom, that we may have the life of 
grace, Mary suffered the pain of sacrificing the dear 
life of her Jesus ; submitting, for our sake, to see him 
die before her eyes in cruel torments. By this great 
offering of Maiy we were then born to the life of di- 
vine grace. So, then, we are children very dear to 
her, because we were redeemed at such a cost of suf- 
fering. Accordingly, as we read of the love which 
the eternal Father has manifested for men by giving 
his own Son to death for us, “ God so loved the world 
as to give his only-begotten Son :”j as St. Bonaven- 
ture remarks, it may be said of Mary also, that she 
so loved us as to give her only-begotten Son.J And 
when did she give him to us ? She gave him to us, 
says Father Nieremberg, when first she consented to 

* Mulier eccc filius tuus. 

t “ Sic Deus dilexit mundutn, ut filium suum unigenitum da- 
ret.” Joan. iii. 16. 

\ Sic Maria dilexit nos, ut filium suum unigenitum daret. 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


55 


his death ; she gave him to us, when others deserted 
him through hatred or through fear, and she alone 
could have defended, before the judges, the life of her 
Son. We can easily believe that the words of so wise 
and tender a mother would have had a great power, 
at least with Pilate, to induce him to abstain from 
condemning to death a man whom he knew and de- 
clared innocent. But no, Mary would not utter even 
one word in favor of her Son, to prevent his death, 
upon which our salvation depended ; finally, she gave 
him to us again and again at the foot of the cross, in 
those three hours when she was witnessing his death ; 
because then, at every moment, she was offering up 
for us his life, with the deepest grief, and the greatest 
love for us, at the cost of great trouble and suffering, 
and with such firmness, that if executioners had been 
wanting, as St. Anselm and St. Antoninus tell us, 
she herself would have crucified him in obedience to^ 
the will of the Father, who had decreed he should 
die for our salvation. And if Abraham showed a sim- 
ilar fortitude in consenting to sacrifice his son with his 
own hands, we must believe that Mary would certainly 
have done the same, with more resolution, as she was ho- 
lier, and more obedient than Abraham. But to return 
to our subject. How grateful should we be to Mary, for 
an act of so much love ! for the sacrifice she made of 
the life of her Son, in the midst of so much anguish, 
to obtain salvation for us all ! The Lord, indeed, re- 
warded Abraham for the sacrifice he was prepared to 
make to him of his son Isaac ; but what can we ren- 


56 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


der to Mary for the life of her Jesus, as she has given 
us a Son more noble and beloved than the son of 
Abraham ? This love of Mary, says St. Bonaventure, 
greatly obliges us to love her, seeing that she has 
loved us more than any other created being loves us, 
since she has given for us her only Son, whom she 
loved more than herself.* 

And from this follows another reason why we are 
so much beloved by Mary : because she knows that 
we have been purchased by the death of Jesus Christ. 
If a mother should see a servant redeemed by a 
beloved son of hers, by twenty years of imprison- 
ment and suffering, for this reason alone how much 
would she esteem that servant ! Mary well knows 
that her Son came upon earth solely to save us miser- 
able sinners, as he himself declared : “I have come 
to save what was lost.”f And to save us he has con- 
sented to lay down his life for us : “ Becoming obe- 
dient unto death. If Mary, then, had little love for 
us, she would slightly value the blood of her Son, 
which was the price of our salvation. It was revealed 
to St. Elizabeth, the nun, that Mary, from the time she 
was in the temple, was always praying that God 
would quickly send his Son to save the world. Now, 
how much more certainly must we believe that she 

* Nulla post earn ereatura ita per amorem nostrum exardes- 
cet, qua3 filium suum unicum, quem multo plus se amavit, nobis 
dedit, et pro nobis obtulit. 

f Veni salvum facere, quod perierat. Luc. xix. 10. 

X Factus obediens usque ad mortem. Phil. ii. 8. 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


57 


loves us, after she has seen us so greatly prized by her 
Son, that he deigned to purchase us at such a cost ! 

And because all men have been redeemed by Jesus, 
Mary loves and favors all. She was seen by St. John 
clothed with the sun : “ And there appeared a great 
wonder in heaven, a woman clothed with the sun.”* 
She is said to be clothed with the sun, because, as 
“ There is no one that can hide himself from his heat,”f 
so there is no one living on the earth who is deprived 
of the love of Mary. From the heat of the sun, as 
it is explained by the venerable Raymond Jordan, who 
through humility called himself the Idiot, that is, from 
the love of Mary.J And who, says St. Anthony, 
can comprehend the care which this loving mother 
has of us all ? Therefore, to all she offers and dis- 
penses her mercy.§ For our mother has desired the 
salvation of all, and has co-operated with her Son in 
the salvation of all. 

It is certain that she is concerned for the whole 
human race, as St. Bernard affirms ;|| hence the prac- 
tice of some devout servants of Mary is very useful, 
who, as Cornelius a Lapide relates, have the habit of 
praying our Lord to grant them those graces which 

* Et signum magnum apparuit in coelo, mulier amicta sole. 
Apoc. xii. 1. 

t Non est qui se abscondet a calore ejns. Psal. xviii. 7. 

X A calore ejus, idest a dilectione Maria}. 

§ Oh quanta cura est Virgini matri de nobis! Omnibus aperit 
sinurn misericordiae suae. 

| Constat pro universo genere humano fuisse solicitam. 
Ho. 2, Mis. 


58 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


the blessed Virgin is seeking for them, using these 
words : “ Oh Lord, give me what the most holy Vir- 
gin Mary is asking for me.”* And this is well, as a 
Lapide adds, for our mother desires greater things 
for us than we think of asking for ourselves.f The 
devout Bernardine de Bustis says, that Mary is more 
desirous to do us good, and bestow favors upon us, 
than we are to receive them.J Therefore blessed 
Albertus Magnus applies to Mary the words of wis- 
dom : “ She preventeth them that covet her, so that 
she first showeth herself unto them.”§ So great is the 
love, says Richard of St. Laurence, which this good 
mother bears us, that when she perceives our ne- 
cessities, she comes to relieve them. She hastens be- 
fore she is invoked.|| 

If Mary, then, is so good to all, even to the ungrate- 
ful and negligent, who have but little love for her, and 
seldom have recourse to her, how much more loving 
must she not be to those who love her and often in- 
voke her ! “ She is easily seen by them that love 

her.”®|[ Oh, how easy it is, exclaims the same blessed 
Albertus, for those who love Mary to find her, and 
find her full of love and pity ! “ I love them that love 

* Domine, da mihi, quod pro me postulat Ss. Virgo Maria. 

+ Ipsa enim majora optat, quam nos optare possumus. 

\ Plus ipsa desiderat facere tibi bonura, et largiri gratiam, 
quam tu accipere concupiscas. Mar. 1, Serm. 5. 

§ Praeoccupat qui se concupiscunt, ut illis se prior ostendat. 
Sap. vi. 14. 

1 Prius occurrit, quam invocetur. Eic. in Cant. iv. 5. 

T Facile invenitur ab bis qui diligunt illam. Sap. vi. 13. 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


59 


me,”* she assures us, and declares that she cannot 
hut love those who love her. And although our most 
loving lady loves all men as her children, yet, says St. 
Bernard, she recognizes and loves especially those who 
most tenderly love her. Those happy lovers of 
Mary, as the Idiot asserts, are not only loved, but 
served by her.f 

Leonard the Dominican, as we read in the chroni- 
cles of his order, who was accustomed to recommend 
himself two hundred times a day to this mother of 
mercy, when he was on his death-bed, saw one beau- 
tiful as a queen by his side, who said to him : “ Leon- 
ard, do you wish to die and come to my Son and me ?” 
“ Who are you ?” answered the religious. “ I am the 
mother of mercy,” replied the Virgin; “you have 
many times invoked me, and now I come to take you : 
let us go to paradise.” On that same day Leonard 
I died, and we hope that he followed her to the king- 
dom of the blessed. 

“ Ah, most sweet Mary, blessed is he who loves 
you!” the venerable brother John Berchmans, of the 
Society of Jesus, used to say : “ If I love Mary, I am 
sure of perseverance, and I shall obtain from God 
whatsoever I wish.” And this devout youth was 
never satisfied with renewing his intention, and often re- 
peated to himself : “ I will love Mary, I will love Mary.” 

* Ego diligentes me diligo. Prov. viii. 17. 
t Inventa Maria Virgine, invenitur omne bonum. Ipsa nam- 
que diligit diligentes se, immo sibi servientibus servit. Do 
contempl. Virgin, in Prolog. 


60 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


Oh, how much this our good mother exceeds all 
her children in affection, even if they love her to the 
extent of their power ! “ Mary is always more loving 

than her lovers,” says St. Ignatius, martyr.* Let 
us love her as much as St. Stanislas Kostka, who 
loved this his dear mother so tenderly, that when he 
spoke of her, every one who heard him desired to love 
her also ; he invented new titles by which he honored 
her name ; he never commenced an action without 
first turning to her image and asking her blessing; 
when he recited her office, her rosary, and other 
prayers, he repeated them with such affectionate earn- 
estness, that he seemed speaking face to face with 
Mary ; when he heard the Salve Regina sung, his soul 
and even his countenance was all on fire ; when asked 
one day by a father of the society, as they were 
going together to visit an altar of the blessed Virgin, 
how much he loved her, “Father,” he answered, 

“ what can I say more than that she is my mother ?” 
And that father tells us how the holy youth spoke 
these words with such tender emotion of voice, coun- 
tenance, and heart, that he appeared not a man, but 
an angel discoursing of the love of Mary. 

Let us love her as much as blessed Hermann, who 
called her his beloved spouse, whilst he also was fc 
honored by Mary with the same name. As much as ! 
St. Philip Neri, who felt wholly consoled in merely i 
thinking of Mary, and on this account named her his j 

* Semper Maria cum amantibus est amantior. Ep. ad., j 
Ep. aur. 


GLORIES OF MART. 61 

delight. As much as St. Bonaventure, who not only- 
called her his lady and mother, but, to show the ten- 
der affection he bore her, went so far as to call her 
his heart and his soul : “ Hail, lady, my mother ; yea, 
my heart, my soul.”* Let us love her as much as 
her great lover St. Bernard, who loved his sweet 
mother so much, that he called her “ the ravisher of 
hearts :”f whence the saint, in order to express to her 
the ardent love he bore her, said to her, “ Hast thou 
not stolen my heart ?”J Let us name her our beloved 
mistress, as St. Bernardine of Sienna named her, who 
went every day to visit her before her sacred image, 
in order to declare his love in the tender colloquies he 
held with his queen. When he was asked where he 
went every day, he answered that he went to find his 
beloved. Let them love her as much as St. Louis of 
Gonzaga, who burned continually with so great love of 
Mary, that as soon as he heard the sound of the sweet 
name of his dear mother, his heart kindled, and a 
flame, perceptible to all, lighted up his countenance. 
Let us love her like St. Francis Solano, who, dis- 
tracted by a holy passion for Maiy, sometimes went 
with a musical instrument to sing of love before her 
altar, saying that, like earthly lovers, he was serenad- 
ing his beloved queen. 

Let us love her as so many of her servants have 
loved her, who had no way left of manifesting their 

* Ave Domina, mater mea ; imo cor meum, anima mea. 

f Raptrix cordium. 

\ ISTonne rapuisti cor meum ? 

6 


62 


GLORIES OF MART. 


love to her. Father Jerome of Trexo, of the Society 
of Jesus, delighted in calling himself the slave of 
Mary, and as a mark of his servitude went often to 
visit her in a church: and what did he do there? 
He watered the church with the tears of that tender 
love which he felt for Mary ; then he wiped them with 
his lips, kissing that pavement a thousand times, remem- 
bering that it was the house of his beloved mistress. 
Father Diego Martinez, of the same society, who, on 
account of his devotion to our Lady, on the feasts of 
Mary, was carried by angels to heaven, that he might 
see with how much devotion they were celebrated 
there, said, “Would that I had all the hearts of the 
angels and the saints to love Mary as they love her. 
Would that I had the lives of all men, to devote 
them all to the love of Mary !” Let others love her 
as Charles the son of St. Bridget loved her, who said 
that he knew of nothing in the world which gave him 
so much consolation as the thought of how much 
Mary was beloved by God ; and he added, that he 
would accept eveiy suffering rather than that Mary 
should lose, if it were possible for her to lose it, the 
least portion of her greatness; and if the greatness 
of Mary were his, he would renounce it in her behalf, 
because she was more worthy of it. Let us desire to 
sacrifice our life in testimony of our love to Mary, as 
Alphonso Rodriguez desired to do. Let us, like Fran- 
cesco Binanzio, a religious, and Radagunde, wife of 
King Clotaire, engrave with sharp instruments of iron 
upon our breast the sweet name of Mary. Let us, 


GLORIES OF MART. 


63 


with red-hot iron, impress upon our flesh the beloved 
name, that it may be more distinct and more enduring, 
as did her devoted servants Battista Archinto and 
Agostino d’Espinosa, both of the Company of Jesus. 

If, then, the lovers of Mary imitate, as much as pos- 
sible, those lovers who endeavor to make known their 
affection to the person beloved, they can never love 
her so much as she loves them. I know, oh Lady, 
said St. Peter Damian, how loving thou art, and that 
thou lovest us with unconquerable love.* The venera- 
ble Alphonso Rodriguez, of the Society of Jesus, was 
once standing before an image of Mary ; and there 
burning with love for the most holy Virgin, broke 
forth into these words : “ My most amiable mother, I 
know that thou lovest me, but thou dost not love me 
so much as I love thee.” Then Mary, as if wounded 
in her love, spoke to him from that image and said : 
“ What dost thou say — what dost thou say, oh Al- 
phonso ? Oh, how much greater is the love I bear 
thee than the love thou bearest me ! Know that the 
distance from heaven to earth is not so great as from 
my love to thine.” 

With how much reason, then, did St. Bonaventure 
exclaim : Blessed are those whose lot it is to be faith- 
ful servants and lovers of this most loving mother !f 
For this most grateful queen is never surpassed in 

* Scio, Domina, quia amantissima es et amas nos amore in- 
vincibili. Serm. 1, de Nat. B. V. 

f Beati quorum corda diligunt Mariam ! Beati qui ei famu- 
lantur I 


64 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


love b) r her devoted servants.* * * § Mary, in this respect, 
imitating our loving Redeemer Jesus Christ, makes by 
her favors a twofold return to him who loves her. I 
will exclaim, then, with the enamored St. Anselm : 
May my heart languish, may my soul melt with your 
never-failing love.f May my heart always burn and 
my soul be consumed with love for you, oh Jesus, 
my beloved Saviour, oh my dear mother Mary. 
Grant then, oh Jesus and Mary, since without your 
grace I cannot love you, grant to my soul, not through 
my merits, but through yours, that I may love you as 
you deserve. Oh God ! the lover of men, thou hast 
died for thy enemies, and' canst thou deny to bim who 
asks it, the grace of loving thee and thy mother ?J 

EXAMPLE. 

It is narrated by Father Auriemma,§ that a poor 
shepherdess loved Mary so much that all her delight 
was to go to a little chapel of our Lady, on a mount- 
ain, and there in solitude, while her sheep were feed- 


* Nunquam in hoc certamine a nobis vincitur. Amorem red- 
bibet, et prseterita beneficia semper novis adauget. Paciuccb. de 
B. Virg. 

t Vestri continuo am ore langueat cor meum,liquefiat anima 
mea. In Depr. ad Y. 

\ Date itaque supplicanti animse mese, non propter meritum 
meum sed propter meritum vestrum, date illi quantum digni 
estis amorem vestrum. Oh amator hominum, tu potuisti reo 3 
tuos usque ad mortem amare, et poteris roganti amorem tui et 
matris tuse negare ? Loc cit. 

§ Affett Scamb. tom. 2, cap. 7. 


\ 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


65 


ing, to converse with her beloved mother and pay her 
devotion to her. When she saw that the figure of Mary, 
in relief, was unadorned, she began, by the poor labor 
of her hands, to make a drapery for it. Having gath- 
ered one day some flowers in the fields, she wove 
them into a garland, and then ’ascending the altar of 
that little chapel, placed it on the head of the figure, 
saying : “ Oh, my mother, I would that I could place 
on thy head a crown of gold and gems ; but as I am 
poor, receive from me this poor crown of flowers, and 
accept it as a token of the love I bear thee.” Thus 
this devout maiden always endeavored to serve and 
honor her beloved Lady. But let us see how our good 
mother, on the other hand, rewarded the visits and the 
affection of her child. She fell ill, and was near her 
end. It happened that two religious passing that 
way, weary with travelling, stopped to rest under a 
tree ; one fell asleep and the other watched, but both 
had the same vision. They saw a company of beau- 
tiful virgins, and among them there was one who, in 
loveliness and majesty, surpassed the rest. One of 
the brothers addressed her, and said : “ Lady, who 
art thou ? and where art thou going ?” “ I am the 

mother of God,” she replied, “ and I am going to the 
neighboring village, with these holy virgins, to visit a 
dying shepherdess, who has many times visited me.” 
She spoke thus and disappeared. These two good 
servants of God proposed to each other to go and 
visit her also. They went towards the place where 
the dying maiden lived, entered a small cottage, and 
c* 


66 GLORIES OF MARY. 

there found her lying upon a little straw. They salu- 
ted her, and she said to them : “ Brothers, ask of God 
that he may permit you to see the company that sur- 
rounds me.” They were quickly on their knees, and 
saw Mary, with a crown in her hand by the side of 
the dying girl, consoling her. Then those holy vir- 
gins began to sing, and with that sweet music the 
blessed soul was released from the body. Mary 
crowned her, and took her soul with her to paradise. 

PR AYE R. 

Oh Lady, Ravisher of hearts! I would exclaim 
with St. Bonaventure ; who, with the love and fa- 
vor thou dost bestow upon thy servants, dost ravish 
their hearts ; take my miserable heart also, which 
desires so earnestly to love thee. Thou, oh my 
mother, with thy beauty hast enamored a God, and 
hast drawn him from heaven into thy bosom, and 
shall I live without loving thee? No. I will say 
to thee with thy loving child John Berchmans : “ I 
will never rest until I have attained a tender love 
for my ‘mother Mary.”* No, I will not rest until 
I am certain of having obtained a love — a constant 
and tender love for thee, my mother, who hast 
loved me with so much tenderness even when I 
was so ungrateful towards thee. And where should I 
now be if thou, oh Mary, hadst not loved me, and ob- 

* Nunquam quiescam, donee habuero tenerum amorem erga 
matrem meam Mariam. 


GLORIES OF MART. 67 

tained so many favors for me? If then thou hast 
loved me so much when I did not love thee, how 
much more may I confide in thy goodness, now that I 
love thee ? I love thee, oh my mother, and would 
wish for a heart capable of loving thee, for all those 
unhappy beings who do not love thee. Would that 
my tongue could praise thee with the power of a thou- 
sand tongues, in order to make known thy greatness, 
thy holiness, thy mercy, and thy love, with which 
thou lovest those who love thee. If I had riches, I 
would employ them all for thy honor ; if I had sub- 
jects, I would make them all thy lovers ; for thee and 
for thy glory I would give my life, if it were required. 
I love thee, oh my mother, but at the same time I 
fear that thou dost not love me, for I have heard that 
love makes lovers like those they love.* If then I 
find myself so unlike to thee, it is a proof that I do 
not love thee. Thou so pure, I so unclean ; thou so 
humble, I so proud ; thou so holy, I so sinful. But 
this, oh Mary, is to be thy work; since thou lovest 
me, make me like unto thyself. Thou hast the power 
to change the heart ; take then mine and change it. 
Let the world see what thou canst do for those who 
love thee. Make me holy — make me worthy of thy 
Son. Thus I hope ; thus may it be. 


* Amor aut similes invenit, aut facit. Aristot. 


68 


GLORIES OF MART. 


SECTION IV. 

MARY IS ALSO MOTHER OF PENITENT SINNERS. 

Mary assured St. Bridget that she was mother not 
only of the just and innocent, hut also of sinners, pro- 
vided they wish to amend.* When a sinner becomes 
penitent, and throws himself at her feet, he finds this 
good mother of mercy more ready to embrace and 
aid him than any earthly mother could be. This St. 
Gregory wrote to the Princess Matilda : “ Desire to 
cease from sin, and I confidently promise you you will 
find Mary more prompt than an earthly mother in 
thy behalf.”f But whoever aspires to be the son of 
this great mother, must first leave off sinning, and 
then let him hope to be accepted as her son. Rich- 
ard, commenting upon tha words, “ Then rose up her 
children, remarks, that first comes the word rose up, 
surrexerunt, and then children, filii ; because he can- 
not be a son of Mary who does not first rise from the 
iniquity into which he has fallen. § For, says St. Peter 
Chrysologus, he who does works contrary to those 
of Mary, by such conduct denies that he wishes to be 

* Ego sum quasi mater omnium peccatorum volentium se 
emendare. L. 4, Rev. c. 138. 

t Pone finem a voluntate peccandi, et invenies Mariam — in- 
dubitanter promitto — promptiorem carnali matre in tui dilec- 
tione. L. 4, Ep. 47. 

X Surrexerunt filii ejus. Prov. xxxi. 28. 

§ Nec dignus est, qui in mortali peccato est, vocari filius tantai 
matris. 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


69 


her son.* Mary is humble, and will he be proud ? 
Mary is pure, and will he be impure ? Mary is full 
of love, and will he hate his neighbor ? He proves 
that he is not, and does not wish to be the son of this 
holy mother, when he so much disgusts her with his 
life. The sons of Mary, repeats Richard of St. 
Laurence, are her imitators in chastity, humility, 
meekness, mercy.f And how can he who so much 
disgusts her with his life, dare to call himself the son 
of Mary ? A certain sinner once said to Mary, 
“Show thyself a mother;’^ but the Virgin answered 
him, “ Show thyself a son.”§ Another, one day, in- 
voked this divine mother, calling her mother of mercy. 
But Mary said to him, “ When you sinners wish me 
to aid you, you call me mother of mercy, and yet by 
your sins make me the mother of misery and grief.” 
“He is cursed of God that angereth his mother. ”|| 
His mother — that is, Mary, remarks Richard. God 
curses every one who afflicts this his good mother, by 
his bad life or his wilfulness. 

I have said wilfulness, for when a sinner, although 
he may not have left his sins, makes an effort to quit 
them, and seeks the aid of Mary, this mother will not 
fail to assist him, and bring him to the grace of God. 

* Qui genitricis non facit opera, negat genus. 

f Filii Marias imitatores ejus, in castitate, huxnilitate, mansue- 
tudine, misericordia. 

f Monstra te esse matrem. 

| Monstra te esse filium. Ap. Aur. 

|| Maledictus a Deo qui exasperat matrem suam. Eccli. iii. 18. 

TI Matrem suam, idest Mariam. 


70 


GLORIES OF MART. 


This St. Bridget once learned from Jesus Christ him- 

O 

self, who, speaking with his mother, said : “ Thou 
dost aid those who are striving to rise to God, and 
dost leave no soul without thy consolation.”* While 
the sinner, then, is obstinate, Mary cannot love him ; 
but if he finds himself enchained by some passion 
which makes him a slave of hell, and will commend 
himself to the Virgin, and implore her with confidence 
and perseverance to rescue him from his sin, this good 
mother will not fail to extend her powerful hand, she 
will loose his chains, and bring him to a state of safety. 
It is a heresy, condemned by the sacred Council of 
Trent, to say that all the prayers and works of a person 
in a state of sin are sins. St. Bernard says that prayer 
in the mouth of a sinner, although it is without super- 
natural excellence, since it is not accompanied by chari- 
ty, yet is useful and efficient in obtaining a release from 
sin ; for, as St. Thomas teaches, f the prayer of the 
sinner is indeed without merit, but it serves to obtain 
the grace of pardon ; for the power of obtaining it'is 
based not upon the worth of him who prays, but upon 
the divine bounty, and upon the merits and promise 
of Jesus Christ, who has said, “ Every one that asketh 
receiveth.”J The same may be said of the prayers 
offered to the divine mother. If he who prays, says 
St. Anselm, does not deserve to be heard, the merits 

* Conanti surgere ad Denim tribuis auxilium, et neminem re- 
linquis vacuum a tua consolatione. # 

t 2, 2, qu. 178, a. 2, ad 1. 

X Omnis qui petit, accipit. Luc. xi. 10. 


GLORIES OF MART. 


71 


of Mary, to whom he commends himself, will cause 
him to be heard.* Hence St. Bernard exhorts every 
sinner to pray to Mary, and to feel great confidence 
in praying to her ; because if he does not deserve 
what he demands, yet Mary obtains for him, by her 
merits, the graces which she asks of God for him.f 
The office of a good mother, says the same saint, is 
this : if a mother knew that her two sons were deadly 
enemies, and that one was plotting against the life of 
the other, what would she do but endeavor in every 
way to pacify him ? Thus, says the saint, Mary is 
mother of Jesus, and mother of man ; when she sees 
any one by his sin an enemy of Jesus Christ, she can- 
not endure it, and makes every effort to reconcile 
them.J; Our most indulgent lady only requires the 
sinner to commend himself to her, and have the in- 
tention to reform. When she sees a sinner coming to 
implore mercy at her feet, she does not regard the sins 
with which he is laden, but the intention with which 
he "comes. If he comes with a good intention, though 
he have committed all the sins in the world, she em- 
braces him, and this most loving mother condescends 
to heal all the wounds of his soul ; for she is not only 
called by us the mother of mercy, but she really is 

* Si merita invocantis non merentur, ut exaudiatur ; merita 
tamen matris intercedunt, ut exaudiatur. 

t Quia indignus erat, cui donaretur, datum est Marias, ut per 
illam acciperes quicquid haberes. Sorm. 8, in Vig. Nat. 

X Oh felix Maria, tu mater rei, tu mater judicis ; cum sis mater 
utriusque, discordias inter tuos filios nequis sustinere. In 
Depr. ad V. 


72 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


such, and shows herself such by the love and tender- 
ness with which she succors us. The blessed Virgin 
herself expressed all this to St. Bridget, when she 
said to her, “However great may be a man’s sins, 
when he turns to me, I am immediately ready to re- 
ceive him ; neither do I consider how much he has 
sinned, but with what intention he comes ; for I do 
not disdain to anoint and heal his wounds, because I 
am called, and truly am, the mother of mercy.”* 

Mary is the mother of sinners who desire to he 
converted, and as a mother she cannot hut compas- 
sionate them, and it even seems that she regards the 
woes of her poor children as her own. When the 
woman of Chanaan implored Jesus Christ to liberate 
her daughter from the demon which tormented her, 
she said : “ Have mercy on me, oh Lord, thou son of 
David ; my daughter is grievously troubled by a 
devil.”f But as the daughter, not the mother, was 
tormented by the devil, it would seem that she should 
have said, “ Oh Lord, have mercy on my daughter,” 
not “ have mercy upon me ;” but no, she said, “ Have 
mercy upon me,”! an( ^ reason, for all the miser- 
ies of children are felt as their own by their mothers. 
Exactly thus Mary prays God, says Richard of St. 

* Quantumcumque homo peccat, statim parata sum recipere 
revertentem; nee attendo quantum peccaverit, sed cum quali 
intentione redit; nam non dedignor ejus plagas ungere, et sa- 
nare, quia vocor et vere sum mater misericordise. Rev. 1. c. 23. 
« t Miserere mei. Domine Fili David, filia mea male a doemo- 
nio vexatur. Matth. xv. 22. 

% Miserere mei. 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


73 


Laurence, when she commends to him a sinner who 
has recommended himself to her : “ Have mercy upon 
me.”* It is as if she said to him, My Lord, this poor 
creature, who is in sin, is my child ; have pity on him, 
not so much on him as on me who am his mother. 
Oh, would to God that all sinners would have recourse to 
this sweet mother, for all would certainly be pardoned 
by God. Oh Mary, exclaims St. Bonaventure, in 
wonder; thou dost embrace, with maternal affection, 
the sinner who is despised by the whole world ! 
neither dost thou leave him until he is reconciled to 
his Judge !f The saint here intends to say that the 
sinner who remains in sin is hated and rejected by 
all men ; even insensible creatures, fire, air, the earth, 
would punish him, and inflict vengeance upon him 
in order to repair the honor of their insulted Lord. 
But if this wretch has recourse to Mary, does she- 
banish him from her presence? Ho: if he comes: 
asking for help, and intending to amend, she em- 
braces him with the affection of a mother, and does 
not leave him until she has reconciled him to God by 
her powerful intercession, and re-established him in - 
his grace. 

We read in the 2d book of Kings, J that the wise 
woman of Thecua said to David : “ My Lord, I had 

* Maria clamat pro anima peccatrice; miserere mei. De 
Laud. Y. n. 6. 

f Oh Maria peccatorem toti mundo despectum, materno affectu: 
complecteris ! nee deseris, quousque miserum judici reconci- 
lies. In spec. c. 5. 

X C. xiv. 


7 


74 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


two sons, and for my misfortune one lias killed the 
other; so that I have already lost a child; justice 
would now take from me my other and only son; 
have pity on me a poor mother, and do not let me be 
deprived of both my children.’’ Then David had 
compassion on this mother, and liberated the criminal, 
and restored him to her.* It appears that Mary 
oilers the same petition when God is angry with a 
sinner, who has recourse to her: Oh my God, she 
says to him, I had two sons, Jesus and man ; man 
has killed my Jesus on the cross ; thy justice would 
now condemn man ; my Lord, my Jesus is dead ; have 
mercy upon me, and if I have lost one, do not con- 
demn me to lose the other also. Ah, God assuredly 
does not condemn those sinners who have recourse to 
Mary, and for whom she prays; since God himself 
has given these sinners to Mary for her children. 
The .devout Lanspergius puts these words into the 
mouth of our Lord : I have commended sinners to 
Mary as her children. Wherefore she is so watchful 
in the performance of her office that she permits none 
to be lost who are committed to her care, especially 
those who invoke her, and uses all her power to lead 
them back to me, And who can describe, says 
Blosius, the goodness, the mercy, the fidelity, and the 
charity with which this our mother strives to save us, 

* Mari se peccatores in filios commendavi, propterea adco est 
:gedula, ut, officio suo satisfaciens neminem eorum, qui sibi 
commissi sunt, prsecipue illam invocantium, perire sinat, sed 
quantum valet, omnes rnihi reducat. Y. 1. 4, Min. Op. 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


75 


when we invoke her aid?* Let us prostrate our- 
selves, then, says St. Bernard, before this good mother, 
let us cling to her sacred feet, and leave her not until 
she gives us her blessing, and accepts us for her 
children.f Who could distrust the goodness of this 
mother? said St. Bonaventure. Though she should 
slay me, I will hope in her ; and, confident in my trust, 
I would die near her image, and be saved.]; And thus 
should every sinner say who has recourse to this kind 
mother : Oh my Lady and mother, I deserve for my 
faults that thou shouldst banish me from thy pres- 
ence, and shouldst punish me for my sins ; but even if 
thou shouldst cast me off and slay me, I shall never 
lose confidence in thee and in thy power to save me. 
In thee I entirely confide, and if it be my fate to die 
before some image of thine, recommending myself to 
thy compassion, I should have a certain hope of my 
salvation, and of going to praise thee in heaven, united 
to all thy servants who called upon thee for aid in 
death, and are saved. Let the following example be 
read, and let the reader judge if any sinner can dis- 
trust the mercy and love of this good mother, if he 
has recourse to her. 

* Hujus matris bonitas, misericordia, fidelitas, charitas erga 
homines tanta est ut nullis verbis explicari possit. 

t Beatis illius pedibus persolvamur ; teneamus earn, nec di 
mittamus donee benedixerit nes. In Sign. Mag. 

X Etiamsi Occident me, sperabo in eum ; et tutus confident 
juxta ejus imaginem mori desidero, et salvus ero. 


76 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


EXAMPLE. 

It is narrated by Belluacensis that in Ridolio, a city 
of England, in the year 1430, there lived a young 
nobleman named Ernest, who gave all his patrimony 
to the poor, and entered a monasteiy, where he led 
so holy a life that he was greatly esteemed by his 
superiors, particularly for his special devotion to the 
most holy Virgin. It happened that a pestilence 
prevailed in that city, and the citizens had recourse to 
that monasteiy to ask the prayers of the monks. The 
abbot ordered Ernest to go and pray before the altar 
of Maiy, and not to quit it until she had given him an 
answer. The youth remained there three days, and 
received from Mary, in answer, some prayers, which 
were to be said. They were said, and the plague ceased. 
It happened afterwards that this youth became less ar- 
dent in his devotion to Mary ; the devil assailed him 
with many temptations, especially to impurity, and to 
a desire to flee from the monastery ; and having neg- 
lected to recommend himself to Mary, he resolved to 
take flight by casting himself from the wall of the 
monasteiy ; but passing before an image of the Virgin 
which stood in the corridor, the mother of God spoke 
to him, and said : “ My son, why do you leave me ?” 
Ernest was overwhelmed with surprise, and, filled with 
compunction, fell on the earth, saying : “ My Lady, 
behold, I have no power to resist, why do you not 
aid me ?” and the Madonna replied : “ Why have you 


GLORIES OF MART. 77 

not invoked me ? If you had sought my protection, 
you would not have been reduced to this ; from this 
day commend yourself to me, and have confidence.” 
Ernest returned to his cell ; but the temptations were 
renewed, yet he neglected to call upon Mary for as- 
sistance. He finally fled from the monastery, and 
leading a bad life, he went on from one sin to another, 
till he became an assassin. He rented an inn, where 
in the night he murdered unfortunate travellers, and 
stripped them of all they had. One night, among 
others, he killed the cousin of the governor of the 
place, who, after examination and trial, condemned 
him to the gallows. But during the examination, a 
young traveller arrived at the inn, and the host, as 
usual, laid his plans and entered his chamber to assas- 
sinate him : but on approaching the bed, he finds the 
young man gone, and a Christ on the cross, covered 
with wounds, in his place. Our Lord, looking com- 
passionately at him, said : “ Is it not enough that I have 
died once for thee ? Dost thou wish to slay me again? 
Do it, then ; lift thy hand and kill me 1” Then the poor 
Ernest, covered with confusion, began to weep, and 
exclaimed : “ Oh Lord, behold me ready to return to 
thee, who hast shown me so much mercy.” He im- 
mediately left the inn to go back to the monastery and 
do penance ; but the officers of justice overtook him 
on the way, he was carried before the judge, and in 
his presence confessed all the murders he had com- 
mitted. He was at once condemned to death, with- 
out even being allowed time for confession. He com- 

7 * 


78 


GLORIES OF MART. 


mended himself to Mary. He was hung upon the 
gallows, but the Virgin prevented his death. She 
herself released him, and said to him : “ Return to the 
monastery ; do penance ; and when you shall see in 
my hand a paper containing the pardon of thy sins, 
then prepare to die. Ernest returned, and having 
related all to the abbot, did great penance. After 
many years, he saw in the hand of Mary the paper con- 
taining his pardon ; he then prepared for his last end, 
and died a holy death. 

PRAYER. 

Oh Mary, sovereign queen, and worthy mother of 
my God, most holy Mary ! Finding myself so vile, so 
laden with sin, I dare not approach thee and call 
thee mother. But I cannot let my miseries deprive 
me of the consolation and confidence I feel in calling 
thee mother. I know that I deserve to be rejected 
by thee, but I pray thee to consider what thy son 
Jesus has done and suffered for me ; and then cast 
me from thee if thou canst. I am a poor sinner, who, 
more than others, have despised the divine Majesty ; 
but the evil is already done. To thee I have recourse : 
thou canst help me ; oh, my mother, help me. Do 
not say that thou canst not aid me, for I know that 
thou art omnipotent, and dost obtain whatever thou 
desirest from thy God. If then thou sayest that 
thou canst not help me, at least tell me to whom I 
must have recourse for succor in my deep distress. 
With St. Anselm, I will say to thee, and to thy Son : 


GLORIES OF MART. 


79 


Have pity on me, oh thou, my Redeemer, and pardon 
me, thou my mother, and recommend me to pardon ; 
or teach me to whom I may have recourse, who is 
more compassionate than you, and in whom I may 
have more confidence. No, neither in heaven nor on 
earth can I find one who has more compassion for the 
miserable, or who can aid me more than you. Thou, 
oh Jesus, art my father, and thou, oh Mary, art my 
mother. You love those who are the most wretched, 
and you seek to save them. I am worthy, of hell, and 
of all beings the most miserable ; you need not to 
seek me, neither do I ask you to seek me ; I present 
myself to you with a sure hope that I shall not be 
abandoned by you. Behold me at your feet ; my 
Jesus, pardon me ; my Mary, help me. 


80 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


CHAPTER II. 

VITA, DULCEDO. 

Our life, our sweetness. 


SECTION I. 

MARY IS OUR LIFE, BECAUSE SIIE OBTAINS FOR US THE PARDON OP 

OUR SINS. 

In order to understand rightly the reason why the 
holy Church calls Mary our life, we must consider 
that as the soul gives life to the body, so divine grace 
gives life to the soul ; for a soul without grace, though 
nominally alive, in truth is dead, as we find in the 
Apocalypse : “ Thou hast the name of being alive, and 
thou art dead.”* As Mary, then, obtains for sinners, 
by her intercession, the gift of grace, she restores them 
to life. The holy Church applies to her the following 
words of Proverbs : “ They that in the morning early 
watch for me, shall find me.”f They shall find me, 
or, according to the Septuagint, “ they shall find 
grace. Hence, to have recourse to Mary is to find 
the grace of God ; for, as immediately follows : “ He 
who finds me shall find life, and shall receive from 

* Nomen babes quod vivas, et mortuus es. Apoc. iii. 1. 

+ Qui mane vigilant ad me, invenient mo. Prov. viii. 17. 

\ Invenient me, invenient gratiam. 


GLORIES OF MAEY. 


81 


God eternal salvation.”* * * § Listen, as St. Bonaventure 
exclaims here upon these words, listen, all ye who de- 
sire the kingdom of God ; honor the Virgin Mary, 
and ye shall have life and eternal salvation, f 

St. Bernardine of Sienna says, that God did not 
destroy man after his fall, because of the peculiar love 
that he bore his future child Mary. And the sain J 
adds, that he doubts not all the mercy and pardon 
which sinners received under the Old Law, was granted 
them by God solely for the sake of this blessed 
Virgin. J 

Therefore St. Bernard exhorts us, if we have been 
so unfortunate as to lose divine grace, to strive to re- 
cover it, but to strive through Mary ; for if we have 
lost it, she has found it :§ and hence she is called by 
this saint, “The finder of grace. ”|| This the angel 
Gabriel expressed for our consolation, when he said 
to the Virgin, “Fear not, Mary, for thou hast found 
grace. But if Mary had never been without grace, 
how could the angel say to her that she had found it ? 


* Qui me invenerit, inveniet vitam, et hauriet salutem a 
Domino. 

t Audite, audite qui cupitis regnum Dei ; Virginem Mariam 
honorate, et invenietis vitam et salutem eternam. 

% Omnes indulgentias factas in Veteri Testamento non am- 
bigo Deuin fecisse solum propter hujus benedictse puellae Vir- 
ginis reverentiam, et amorem. Tom. 4, serm. 61, c. 8. 

§ Quaeramus gratiam, et per Mariam quaeramus. Serm. de 
aqusod. 

| Inventrix gratiae. 

T1 Ne timeas Maria, invenisti gratiam. Luc. i. 80. 


82 GLORIES OF MARY. 

A thing is said to be found when it has been lost. 
The Virgin was always with God and with grace ; she 
was even full of grace, as the Archangel himself an- 
nounced when he saluted her, “ Hail ! full of grace, 
the Lord is with thee.”* * * § If, then, Mary did not find 
grace for herself, for whom did she find it ? Cardinal 
Hugo answers, when commenting upon the above 
passage, that she found it for sinners who had lost 
it. Let sinners, then, says the devout writer who 
have lost grace, flee to Mary ; with her they will cer- 
tainly find it ; and let them say : Oh Lady, what is lost 
must be restored to him who has lost it ; this grace 
which thou hast found is not thine, thou hast never 
lost it ; it is ours, for we have lost it, and to us thou 
shouldst restore it.f In connection with which, 
Richard of St. Laurence remarks : If then we de- 
sire to find the grace of God, let us go to Mary, who 
has found it, and always finds it.J And since she 
ever has been, and ever will be, dear to God, if we 
have recourse to her, we certainly shall find it. She 
says, in the holy Canticles, that God has placed her 
in the world to be our defence, § and therefore she is 
ordained to be the mediatrix of peace between the 

* Ave gratia plena, Dominus tecum. 

t Currant ergo, currant peccatores ad Virginem qui gratiam 
amiserant peccando, et earn invenient apud ipsam. Secure 
dicant ; Redde nobis rem nostram, quam invenisti. 

X Cupientes invenire gratiam quaeramus inventricem gratiae, 
quae, quia semper invenit frustrari non poterit. De Laud. 
Y. 1. 2. 

§ Ego murus et ubera mea sicut turris. Cant. viii. 10. 


GLORIES OF MARY. 83 

sinner and God. “ I am become in his presence as 
one finding peace.”* By which words St. Bernard 
gives encouragement to the sinner, and says: Go 
to this mother of mercy, and show her the wounds 
which thy sins have inflicted upon thy soul. Then 
she will certainly pray her Son that he may pardon 
thee by the milk with which she has nourished him, 
and the Son who loves her so much will certainly hear 
her.f So, too, the holy Church teaches us to pray 
the Lord to grant us the powerful intercession of 
Mary, that we may arise from our sins, in the follow- 
ing prayer : “ Grant us, oh merciful God ! strength 
against all our weakness ; that we who celebrate the 
memoiy of the holy mother of God, may, by the help 
of her intercession, arise again from our iniquities.”]; 

Justly, then, does St. Lawrence Justinian call her 
the hope of evil-doers, “ spes delinquentium,” since 
she alone can obtain their pardon from God. St. 
Bernard rightly names her the ladder of sinners, 
“Peccatorum seala;” since she, this compassionate 
queen, offers her hand to poor fallen mortals, leads 
them from the precipice of sin, and helps them to 
ascend to God. St. Augustine rightly calls her the 

* Ex quo facta sum coram eo quasi pacem reperiens. Cant, 
viii. 10. 

t Vade ad matrem misericordi®, et ostende illi tuorum plagas 
peccatorum; et ita ostendet pro te ubera. Exaudiet utique 
matrem filius. 

\ Concede, misericors Deus, fragilitati nostr® presidium ; ut 
qui sanc'tse Dei Genitricis memoriam agimus, intercessionis ejus 
auxilio a nostris iniquitatibus resurgamus. 


84 


GLORIES OF MART. 


only hope of us sinners, since by her means alone we 
hope for the remission of all our sins.* * * § And St. 
John Chrysostom repeats the same thing, namely, 
that sinners receive pardon only through the interces- 
sion of Mary. Whence the saint in the name of all 
sinners thus salutes her: Hail! mother of God and 
ours ; Heaven where God dwells ; Throne from which 
the Lord dispenses all graces ; always pray to Jesus 
for us, that by thy prayers we may obtain pardon in 
the day of account, and the glory of the blessed in 
heaven.^ Finally, Mary is rightly called aurora: 
“ Who is she that cometh forth as the morning rising ?”§ 
Because, as Pope Innocent says, aurora is the end of 
night, and the beginning of day, well is the Virgin 
Mary, who is the end of vices and the beginning of 
virtues, designated as aurora. || And the same effect 
which the birth of Mary produced in the world, devo- 
tion to her produces in the soul ; she puts an end to the 
night of sin, and leads the soul into the way of vir- 

* Tu es spes unica peccatorum, quia per te speramus veniam 
omnium delictorum. Serm. 18, de Sanctis. 

t Per hanc peccatorum veniam eonsequimur. 

X Ave igitur mater, Coelum, Thronus, Ecclesise nostra Decus ; 
assidue precare Jesum, ut per te misericordiam invenire in die 
judicii, et quse reposita sunt iis qui diligunt Deum bona con- 
sequi possimus. In Offic. Nat. B. M., die 5. 

§ Quse est ista, quse progreditur quasi aurora consurgens? 
Cant. vi. 9. 

1 Cum aurora sit finis noctis, et origo diei, vere per auroram 
designatur Maria Virgo, quse fuit finis vitiorum, et origo virtu- 
tum. Serm. 2, de Ass. B. V. 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


85 


tue. Hence, St. Germanus says : Oh mother of God, 
thy protection is immortal! thy intercession is life.* 
And in his sermon on the Zone of the Virgin, \ the 
saint says that the name of Mary, to him who pro- 
nounces it with affection, is either the sign of life, or 
that soon he will have life. 

Mary sang : “For behold, from henceforth all 
nations shall call me blessed .” \ On this account, says 
St. Bernard, all nations shall call thee blessed, because 
all thy servants by thy means shall obtain the life of 
grace and eternal glory.§ “ In thee sinners find par- 
don, and the just perseverance, and afterwards life 
eternal.”! Do not despair, as the devout Bernardine 
de Bustis says, oh sinner, although you have commit- 
ted all possible sin, but confidently have recourse to 
this Lady, for you will find her hands full of mercies. 
Then he adds : Mary is more desirous to bestow 
favors upon you than you are to receive them.^j" 

By St. Andrew of Crete, Mary is called “ The se- 

* Serm. 3, in Dorm. B. V. 

t De Zona Virgin. 

X Ecce enim ex hoc beatam me dicent omnes generationes. 
Luc. i. 48. 

§ Ex hoc beatam te dicent omnes generationes, quae omnibus 
gcnerationibus vitam et gloriam genuisti. Serm. 2, in Pentec. 

| In te peccatores veniam, justi gratiam inveniunt in etemum. 
Serm. de Nat. B. V. 

H 0 peccator ne diffidas, etiamsi commisisti omnia peccata ; 
sed secure ad istam gloriosissiman Dominam recurras. In- 
venies earn in manibus plenam misericordia, et largitate ; plus 
enim ipsa desiderat facere tibi bonum, et largiri gratiam, quam 
tu accipere concupiscas. Serm. 5, de N. M. 


86 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


curity of divine pardon.”* By this is meant, that 
when sinners have recourse to Mary that they may be 
reconciled to God, God assures them of pardon, and 
gives them the assurance by also giving them the 
pledge of it. And this pledge is Mary, whom he has 
given us for our advocate, by whose intercession, in 
virtue of the merits of Jesus Christ, God pardons all 
sinners who place themselves under her protection. 
It was revealed to St. Bridget by an angel, that the 
holy prophets were full of joy when they learned that 
God, by the humility and purity of Mary, would be- 
come reconciled to sinners, and receive into his favor 
those who had provoked his wrath.f 

No sinner need ever fear that he shall be rejected 
by Mary, if he has recourse to her mercy. No, for 
she is mother of mercy ; and as such, desires to save 
the most miserable. Mary is that happy ark in which 
he who takes refuge will never suffer the shipwreck 
of eternal ruin ; “ area in qua naufragium evadimus.” 
Even the brutes were saved in the time of the deluge 
in the ark of Noe ; so, under the mantle of Mary, 
even sinners are saved. St. Gertrude one day saw 
Mary with her mantle extended, beneath which 
many wild beasts, lions, bears, and tigers had shel- 

* Fidejussio divinarum reconciliationum, quae dato pignore 

fit. 

t Exultabant autem praenoscentes, quod ipse Dominus ex tua 
liumilitate et vitae puritate, O Maria Stella praefulgida, placaretur, 
et quod reciperet eos in suam gratiam, qui ipsum ad iracundiam 
provocaverunt. Serm. Ang. c. 9. 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


87 


tered themselves ; and Mary not only did not cast 
them from her, but received them with pity and ca- 
ressed them. And by this the saint understood, that 
the vilest sinners, when they flee to Mary, are not cast 
out, but welcomed and saved from eternal death. 
Let us enter, then, into this ark, and seek refuge under 
the mantle of Mary ; for she certainly will not reject 
us, and will surely save us. 

EXAMPLE. 

It is narrated by Father Bovius,* of a very sinful 
person named Helen, that having gone to church, she 
accidentally heard a sermon on the rosary. As she 
went out she bought one, but carried it hidden, so that 
it should not be seen. Afterwards, she began to re- 
cite it ; and although she recited it without devotion, 
the most holy Virgin infused into her heart such con- 
solation and sweetness in it, that she could not cease 
repeating it. And by this she was inspired with such 
a horror of her evil life, that she could find no peace, 
and was forced, as it were, to go to confession. She 
confessed with so much contrition, that the confessor 
was amazed. Having finished her confession, she 
went immediately before an altar of the blessed Vir- 
gin, to thank her advocate; she recited her rosary, 
and the divine mother spoke to her from her image, 
and said : “ Helen, you have too long offended God 
and me ; henceforth change your life, and I will be- 


Es. della SS. Virg. 


88 GLORIES OF MARY. 

stow upon you many of my favors.” The poor sinner, 
in confusion, answered: “Ah, most holy Virgin, it is 
true that hitherto I have been very sinful, but thou, 
who art all-powerful, assist me ; I give myself to thee, 
and will pass the remainder of my life in doing pen- 
ance for my sins.” Assisted by Mary, Helen bestowed 
all her goods upon the poor, and commenced a rigor- 
ous penance. She was tormented by dreadful tempta- 
tions, but she continued to recommend herself to the 
mother of God ; and always, with her aid, came off 
victorious. She was favored also with many super- 
natural graces, as visions, revelations, and prophecies. 
At last, before her death, of which she had been 
warned a few days previously by Mary, the Virgin 
herself came with her Son to visit her ; and in death, 
the soul of this sinner was seen, in the form of a beau- 
tiful dove, ascending to heaven. 

PRAYER. 

Behold, oh mother of my God, Mary, my only hope, 
behold at thy feet a miserable sinner, who implores 
thy mercy. Thou art proclaimed and called by the 
whole Church, and by all the faithful, the refuge of 
sinners ; thou then art my refuge ; it is thine to save 
me. Thou knowest how much thy Son desires our 
salvation.'* Thou, too, knowest what Jesus Christ 
suffered to save me. I offer to thee, oh my mother, 

* Scis dulcissima Dei mater, quantum placeat benedicto filio 
tuo salus nostra. Guill. Paris. 


GLORIES OF MARY. 89 

the sufferings of Jesus; the cold which he endured in 
the stable, the steps of his long journey into Egpyt, 
his toils, his sweat, the blood that he shed, the tor- 
ments which caused his death before thy eyes upon 
the cross ; show thy love for this Son, whilst I, for the 
love of him, beg thee to aid me. Extend thy hand to 
a fallen creature, who asks pity of thee. If I were a 
saint, I would not ask for mercy ; but because I am a 
sinner, I have recourse to thee, who art the mother 
of mercies. I know that thy compassionate heart 
finds consolation in succoring the wretched, when thou 
canst aid them, and dost not find them obstinate in 
their sins. Console, then, to-day thy own compas- 
sionate heart, and console me ; for thou hast a chance 
to save me, a poor wretch condemned to hell ; and 
thou canst aid me, for I will not be obstinate. I place, 
myself in thy hands ; tell me what I must do, and ob- 
tain for me strength to do it, and I will do all I can to 
return to a state of grace. I take refuge beneath thy 
mantle. Jesus Christ wishes me to have recourse to 
thee, that, for thy glory and his, since thou art his 
mother, not only his blood, but also thy prayers, may 
aid me to obtain salvation. He sends me to thee that 
thou mayest assist me. Oh Mary, I hasten to thee, 
and in thee I trust. Thou dost pray for so many 
others, pray, and say also one word for me. Say to 
God, that thou desirest my salvation, and God cer- 
tainly will save me. Tell him that I am thine ; this 
is all I ask from thee. 


8 * 


90 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


SECTION II. 

MARY IS AGAIN OUR LIFE, BECAUSE SHE OBTAINS FOR US PERSE- 
VERANCE. 

Final perseverance is a divine gift so great, that, as 
the holy Council of Trent has declared, it is a wholly 
gratuitous gift, and one that cannot be merited by us. 
But, as St. Augustine teaches us, all those obtain per- 
severance from God who ask it of him ; and as Father 
Suarez says, they infallibly obtain it if they are diligent 
to the end of life in praying God for it ; because, as 
Cardinal Bellarmine writes : This perseverance is daily 
to be sought, that it may be daily obtained.* Now, if 
it is true, which I consider certain, according to the 
present very general opinion, as I shall presently de- 
monstrate in chap. 5th — if it is true that all the graces 
which are bestowed on us by God pass through the 
hands of Mary, it must also be true that only through 
Mary can we hope for and obtain this great gift of 
perseverance. And we certainly shall obtain it, if, 
with confidence, we always ask it of Mary. She her- 
self promises this grace to all those who serve her 
faithfully in this life. “ They that work by me shall 
not sin ; they that explain me shall have life everlast- 
ing :”f which words the holy Church puts into the 
mouth of Mary on the Feast of her Conception. 

* Quotidie petenda est, ut quotidie obtineatur. 
t Qui operantur in me, non peccabunt ; qui elucidant me, vi- 
tam eternam habebunt. Eccli. xxiv. 30, 81. 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


91 


In order that we may be preserved in the life of di- 
vine grace, spiritual strength is necessary to resist all 
the enemies of our salvation. Now, this strength can 
only be obtained by means of Mary: Mine is this 
strength, says Mary : “ Mea est fortitudo.” God 
has intrusted this gift to my hand, that I may bestow 
it on my devoted servants. “ By me kings reign 
“Per me reges regnant.”* By me my servants reign, 
and rule their senses and their passions, and thus 
make themselves worthy of reigning eternally in heav- 
en. Oh, what strength have the servants of this 
great Lady to conquer all the temptations of hell! 
Mary is that tower spoken of in the holy Canticles : 
“ Thy neck is as the tower of David, which is built 
with bulwarks ; a thousand bucklers hang upon it, all 
the armor of valiant men.”f She is like a strong 
tower of defence for her lovers, who take refuge with 
her in the day of battle ; in her all her devoted ser- 
vants find shields and weapons of every kind to defend 
themselves against the powers of hell. 

For this reason, the most holy Virgin is called a 
plane-tree: “As a plane-tree by the water in the 
streets was I exalted.”! This P assa g e is explained 
by Cardinal Hugo, who tells us that the plane-tree has 

* Prov. viii. 15. In Festo S. Mariae ad nives. 

t Sicut turris David collum tuum, quae edificata est cum pro- 
pugnaculis ; mille clypei pendent ex ea, omnis armatura fortium. 
Cant. iv. 4. 

X Quasi platanus exaltata sum juxta aquam in plateis. Eccli. 
xxiv. 19. 


92 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


leaves like shields.* * * § And by this is explained the de- 
fence that Mary affords those who take refuge with 
her. The blessed Amadeus gives another explanation, 
and says that she is called a plane-tree because, as 
the plane-tree, with its shade, protects the traveller 
from the heat of the sun and from the rain, so, 
under the mantle of Mary, men find shelter from 
the heat of their passions and the fury of temp- 
tations. | 

Unfortunate are those souls who withdraw from this 
shelter, neglect their devotion to Mary, and fail to rec- 
ommend themselves to her in trial. If the sun should 
no more rise upon the world, says St. Bernard, what 
would the world become but a chaos of darkness and 
horror If a soul loses her devotion to Mary, she 
will immediately be full of darkness, and that darkness 
of which the Holy Ghost says : “ Thou hast appointed 
darkness, and it is night ; in it shall all the beasts of 
the woods go about. ”§ When the divine light does 
not shine in a soul it is night, and it will become a den 
of all sins and demons. Woe to those, as St. Anselm 
says, who turn away from the light of this sun ;|| 


* Platanus habet folia scutis similia. 

t Virgo ramorum extensione se ubique expandit, ut filios Ada? 
ab aestu et turbine umbra desiderabili protegeret. B. Am. 
Horn. 8. 

X Tolle corpus hoc solare, ubi dies ? Tolle Mariam, quid nisi 
tenebrse relinquentur ? Serm. de Aqiued. 

§ Posuisti tenebras, et facta est nox; in ipsa pertransibunt 
omnes bestise sylvae. Psal. ciii. 20. 

| Vse vae eis qui solem istum aversantur ! 


GLORIES OF MART. 


93 


that is, who neglect devotion to Mary. St. Francis 
Borgia, with reason, feared for the perseverance of 
those in whom he did not find a special devotion to 
the blessed Virgin. When once he asked some novices 
to what saint they had the most devotion, and found 
that some of them were not especially devoted to 
Mary, he warned the master to watch more carefully 
these unfortunate persons ; and it happened that they 
all lost their vocation and quitted religion. 

St. Germanus justly called the most holy Virgin 
the breath of Christians ; because, as the body cannot 
live without breathing, so the soul cannot live without 
having recourse and commending itself to Mary, 
through whose means the life of divine grace is ob- 
tained fo# us and preserved in us.* As respiration is 
not only the sign, but also the cause of life, so the 
name of Mary, when it is spoken by the servants of 
God, not only proves that they are living, but pro- 
cures and maintains this life, and obtains for them 
every aid. The blessed Alanus, when once assailed 
by a strong temptation, was on the point of being lost 
because he omitted to recommend himself to Mary ; 
but the blessed Virgin appeared to him, and, to warn 
him against such neglect in future, gave him a blow 
on the ear, and said to him : “ If thou hadst com- 

* Sicut respiratio non solum est signum vitae, sed etiam cau- 
sa ; sic Mariae nomen, quod in servorum Dei ore versatur, simul 
argumentum est quod vere vivant, simul etiam hanc vitam effi- 
cit et conservat; omnemque eis opem impertitur. Orat. do 
Deip. 


94 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


mended thyself to me, thou wouldst not have been ex- 
posed to this peril.” 

On the other hand : “ Blessed is the man,” says 
Mary, “ that heareth me, and that watcheth daily at 
my gates, and waiteth at the posts of my doors.”* * * § 
Mary will certainly be ready to obtain light and 
strength for those faithful servants, that they may 
abandon their vices and walk in the paths of virtue. 
Hence is she, as Innocent III. beautifully expresses 
it : The moon by night, the dawn of the morning, and 
the sun by day.f The moon, to him who is groping 
in the night of sin, to give him light to see his wretched 
state of condemnation; the dawn, the forerunner of 
the sun, to him who is enlightened, that he may come 
forth from sin and return to divine graces and the 
sun, to him who is in grace, that he may not again 
fall into any precipice. 

Theologians apply to Mary these words of Ecclesi- 
asticus : “ Her bands are a healthful binding.’’^ 
Wherefore are they called bands, asks St. Lawrence 
Justinian, unless because she binds her servants, that 
they may not wander in forbidden fields ?§ St. Bona- 
venture explains in a similar manner the words of the 

* Beatus homo qui audit me, qui vigilat ad fores meas quoti- 
die, et observat ad postes ostii mei. Prov. viii. 34. In Festo 
Cone. B. Y. M. 

t Lunainnocte, aurora in diluculo, sol in die. Serin. 2, de Ass. 

% Vincula illius alligatura salutaris. Eccli. vi. 81. 

§ Quare vinculse ? nisi quia servos ligat, ne discurrant per cam- 
pos licentiae. 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


95 


office of Mary : “ My abode is in the full assembly of 
saints.”* He says that Mary is not only established 
in the fulness of the saints, but that she also upholds 
the saints, that they may not fall away ; she sustains 
their virtue that it may not waver, and prevents the 
demons from doing them harm.f 

It is said that “ all her domestics are clothed with 
double garments.” J Cornelius a Lapide thus describes 
this double garment : It is a double garment, because 
she clothes her servants with the virtues of her Son, 
as well as with her own ;§ and, thus clothed, they will 
preserve holy perseverance. For this reason, St. Philip 
Neri always admonished his penitents by saying to 
them : My children, if you desire perseverance, be de- 
vout to Mary. The venerable brother John Berch- 
mans, of the Company of Jesus, also said : He who 
loves Mary, shall have perseverance. The reflection 
which Rupert the Abbot makes upon the prodigal son 
is very beautiful. If the mother of this prodigal son 
had been living, he would either never have left his 
father’s house, or would have returned much sooner. || 

* In plenitudine sanctorum detentio mea. Eccli. xxiv. 16 . 

t Ipsa quoque non solum in plenitudine sanctorum detinetur, 
sed etiam in plenitudine sanctos detinet, ne eorum plenitudo 
minuatur ; detinet nimirum virtutes, ne fugiant ; detinet demo- 
nes, re noceant. In spec. 

% Omnes domestici ejus vestiti sunt duplicibus. Prov. xxxi. 
21 . 

§ Duplici veste ipsa omat sibi devotos, quia tam Christi quam 
suis virtutibus eos induit. • 

| Si prodigus filius viventem matrem habuisset, vel a patema 
domo nunquam discessisset, vel forte citius rediisset. 


96 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


And by this he wished to say, that he who is a child 
of Mary, either never departs from God, or if for his 
misfortune he departs, by means of Mary he quickly 
returns. 

Oh, if all men loved this most kind and loving Lady, 
and in temptations always and immediately had re- 
course to her, who would fall ? Who would be lost ? 
He falls and is lost who does not flee to Mary. St. 
Lawrence Justinian applies to Mary these words of 
Ecclesiasticus : “ I have walked in the waves of the 
sea and makes her to say : I walk with my ser- 
vants in the midst of the tempests to which they are 
exposed, to assist them, and prevent them from fall- 
ing into the precipice of sin. I 

Father Bernardine de Bustis relates that a hawk 
darted upon a bird which had been taught to say Ave 
Maria; the bird said Ave Maria, and the hawk fell 
dead. By this our Lord wished to show us, that if 
an irrational bird was saved from destruction by in- 
voking Mary, how much more surely will he be pre- 
vented from falling into the power of evil spirits, who 
is mindful to invoke Mary in his temptations. Nothing 
remains to be done, says St. Thomas of Villanova, 
when the devils come to tempt us, but, like the chick- 
ens when the kite appears, to run quickly under the 
shelter of the wings of our mother. Let us, then, at 
the approach of the temptations which assail us, with- 

* In ffuctibus maris ambulavi. C. xxiv. 8. 

Scilicet cum familiaribus meis, ut ipsos eruerem a naufragio 
peccatorum. 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


97 


out stopping to parley with them, place ourselves at 
once under the protection of Mary.* And then, the 
saint goes on to say, our Lady and mother must defend 
us ; for, after God, we have no refuge but thee, who 
art our only hope, and the only protectress in whom 
we may confide. f 

Let us, then, conclude with the words of St. Ber- 
nard : J Oh man, whoever thou art, thou knowest that 
in this miserable life thou art rather tossing: on the 
tempestuous waves, among . dangers and tempests, 
than walking upon the earth ; if thou wouldst not 
sink, keep thy eye fixed on this star, namely, Mary. 
Look at the star, invoke Mary. When in danger of 
sinning, when tormented by temptations, when doubts 
disturb thee, remember that Mary can aid thee, and in- 
stantly call upon her. May her powerful name never 
depart from the confidence of thy heart, nor from the 
invocation of thy lips. If thou wilt follow Mary, thou 

* Sicut pulli, volitantibus desuper mil vis, ad gallinae alas oc- 
currunt; ita nos sub velamento alarum tuarum abscondimur. 
Serm. 3, de Nat. Virg. 

t Nescimus aliud refugium nisi te, tu sola es unica spes nos- 
tra, tu sola patrona nostra, ad quern omnes aspicimus. 

X 0 quisquis te intelligis in hujus soeculi pro fluvio magis in- 
ter procellas et tempestates fluctuare, quam per terram ambu- 
lare ; ne avertas oculos a fulgore hujus sideris, si non vis obrui 
procellis ; respice stellam, voca Mariam. In periculis, in angus- 
tiis, in rebus dubiis Mariam cogita, Mariam invoca. Non rece- 
dat ab ore, non recedat a corde. Ipsam sequens, non devias. 
Ipsam rogans, non desperas. Ipsa tenente, non corruis. Ipsa 
protegente, non metuis. Ipsa duce, non fatigaris. Ipsa pro- 
pitia, pervenis. Sic fac, et vives. Horn. 2, super Missus. 

9 


98 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


shalt never wander from the path of safety. Com- 
mend thyself always to her, and thou shalt nt>t de- 
spair. If she upholds thee, thou shalt not fall. If 
she protects thee, thou need not fear ruin. If she 
guides thee, thou shalt be saved without difficulty. 
In a word, if Mary undertakes to defend thee, thou 
shalt certainly arrive at the kingdom of the blessed. 
Thus do, and thou shalt live. 


EXAMPLE. 

In the celebrated history of St. Mary of Egypt, 
which we find in the first volume of the Lives of the 
Fathers, we read that, at twelve years of age, she fled 
from her parents, and went to Alexandria, where she 
led an infamous life, and became the scandal of the 
city. After sixteen years spent in sin, she wandered 
off to Jerusalem; where, on. the festival of the Holy 
Cross, she was led to enter the church, more from 
curiosity than devotion. On the threshold she was 
thrust back, as if by some invisible power ; she at- 
tempted a second time to enter, and again was re- 
pelled, and a third and a fourth time the same thing 
happened. The wretched creature withdrew then 
into a corner of the portico, and there she was inte- 
riorly enlightened, and saw that God had refused her 
entrance into the church on account of her wicked 
life. By chance she raised her eyes, and saw a pic- 
ture of Mary which was painted in the vestibule. She 
turned to it, weeping, and said : “ Oh mother of God, 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


99 


have pity on this poor sinner ! I know that, on ac- 
count of my sins, I do not deserve that thou shouldst 
regard me ; but thou art the refuge of sinners : for the 
love of Jesus, thy Son, help me. Obtain for me that 
I may enter the church, for I desire to change my 
life, and go and do penance whereter thou shalt di- 
rect.” Then she heard an interior voice, as if the 
blessed Virgin answered her : “ Come, since thou hast 
invoked me, and wishest to change thy life, enter the 
church, for the door will no longer be closed against 
thee.” The sinner entered, adored the cross, and wept. 
She returned to the picture r “ Oh Lady,” she said, 
“ I am ready ; where shall I retire to do penance ?” 
“ Go,” said the Virgin, “ beyond the Jordan, and thou 
wilt find the place of thy repose.” She made her confes- 
sion, received holy communion, passed the river, reached 
the desert, and understood that there was her place 
of penance. During the first seventeen years that she 
lived in the desert, the evil spirits fiercely assailed her, 
to make her fall again.' What did she then do ? She 
recommended herself to Mary, and Mary obtained for 
her strength to resist for seventeen years, after which 
the conflict ceased. Finally, after fifty-seven years 
spent in the desert, in the eighty-seventh of her age, 
through Divine Providence, she was found by the ab- 
bot St. Zosimus. To him she related the story of her 
whole life, and begged him to return there the follow- 
ing year, and bring her holy communion. The holy 
abbot returned, and gave her communion. Then she 
implored him again to dc the same thing. He returned 


100 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


the second time, and found her dead, her body sur- 
rounded with light, and at her head these words writ- 
ten in the sand :“Bury in this place the body of me, 
a miserable sinner, and pray God for me.” A lion 
came and dug her grave, the abbot buried her, and, 
returning to the monastery, he related the wonders of 
divine mercy towards this happy penitent. 


PRAYER. 

Oh mother of mercy ! holy Virgin ! behold at thy 
feet the traitor, who, returning ingratitude for the 
favors received through thee from God, has betrayed 
thee and God. But, oh my Lady ! know that my 
misery does not destroy, but increases my confidence 
in thee, because I see that my misery increases thy 
compassion for me. Show, oh Mary ! that thou art 
the same to me as thou art to all those who invoke 
thee, full of grace and mercy. It is enough for me 
that thou regardest me with compassion. If in thy 
heart thou hast pity for me, thou wilt not cease to 
protect me ; and if thou dost protect me, what should 
I fear ? No, I fear nothing ; I fear not my sins, for 
thou canst remedy their evil consequences ; nor the 
demons, for thou art more powerful than hell; nor 
thy Son who is justly angry with me, for at one word 
of thine he will be appeased. I only fear that through 
negligence I may fail to implore thy protection in my 
temptations, and that this may cause my ruin. But 
I promise thee to-day, I will always have recourse to 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


101 


thee. Help me to keep this resolution. Behold the 
opportunity thou hast of satisfying thy desire to re- 
lieve so miserable a creature as I am. 

Oh mother of God, I have great confidence in thee. 
From thee I expect the grace to do just penance for 
my sins, and from thee I hope the strength never more 
to fall back into them. If I am sick, thou canst heal 
me, oh heavenly physician. If my sins have made 
me weak, thy help can make me strong. Oh Mary, 
I hope every thing from thee, for thou hast all power 
with God. 


SECTION III. 

Dulcedo : — Sweetness. 

MARY RENDERS DEATH SWEET TO HER SERVANTS. 

‘‘He that is a friend loveth at all times; and a 
brother is proved in distress.”* True friends and rel- 
atives are not known in times of prosperity, but in 
the season of adversity and misery. Worldly friends 
do not desert their friend when he is in prosperity ; 
but if any misfortune overtakes him, particularly in 
the hour of death, immediately his friends abandon 
him. Not so does Mary desert her devoted servants. 
In their distresses, and especially at the trying hour 
of death, when our sufferings are the greatest that 
can be endured on earth, she our good Lady and 

* Omni tempore diligit qui amicus est, et frater in angustiis 
comprobatur. Prov. xvii. 17 . 

9 * 


102 


GLORIES OF MART. 


mother cannot abandon her faithful servants ; and as 
'she is our life in the time of our exile, so is she also 
our sweetness in the hour of death, by obtaining for 
us that it may be sweet and blessed. For since that 
great day in which it was the lot and the grief of 
Mary to be present at the death of Jesus, her Son, 
who was the head of the elect, she obtained the grace 
of aiding at death all the elect. Hence the holy 
Church requires us to pray the blessed Virgin, that she 
would especially* aid us in the hour of our death : “ Pray 
for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death.”* 
The sufferings of the dying are very great, on ac- 
count of their remorse for sins committed, their dread 
of approaching judgment, and the uncertainty of eter- 
nal salvation. At that moment especially, the devil 
puts forth all his power to gain the soul that is pass- 
ing into eternity ; knowing that the time is short in 
which he may win her, and that if he loses her, he 
has lost her forever. “ The devil is come down unto 
you, having great wrath, knowing that he hath but a 
short time.”f And therefore the devil, who has al- 
ways tempted her in life, will not be satisfied to tempt 
her alone in death, but calls companions to his aid : 
“ Their houses shall be filled with serpents. ”J When 
any one is at the point of death, his house is filled 
with demons, who unite to accomplish his ruin. 

* Ora pro nobis peccatoribus, nunc et in bora mortis nostrse. 
t Descendit Diabolus ad vos, babens iram magnam, sciens 
quodmodicum tempus babet. Apoc. xii. 12. 

X Implebuntur domus eorum draconibus. Isa. xiii. 21. 


GLORIES OF MART. 103 

It is related of St. Andrew Avellino, that at the 
time of his death, ten thousand devils came to tempt 
him ; and we read in his life, that at the time of his 
agony he had so fierce a struggle with hell, that it 
caused all his good religious who were present to 
tremble. They saw the face of the saint swell from 
agitation, so that it became black ; they saw all his limbs 
trembling, and greatly agitated, rivers of tears flowed 
from his eyes,- and his head shook violently ; all these 
were signs of the horrible assault he was suffering 
from the powers of hell. All the religious wept in 
compassion, redoubled their prayers, and trembled 
with fear when they saw that a saint died thus. Yet 
they were consoled by seeing that the saint often 
turned his eyes, as if seeking help, towards a devout 
image of Mary, for they remembered that he had 
often said in life, that in the hour of his death Mary 
must be his refuge. It finally pleased God to ter- 
minate this struggle by a glorious victory, for the 
agitation of his body ceased, his countenance gained 
its natural shape and color, and fixing his eyes tran- 
quilly on that image, he devoutly bowed his head to 
Mary, who, it is believed, then appeared to him, as if 
to thank her, and quietly breathed forth in her arms 
his blessed soul, with heavenly peace depicted on his 
countenance. At the same time a Capuchin nun, in 
her agony, turned to the religious who were with her 
and said : “ Say an Ave Maria, for a saint has jitst 
died.” 

Ah, how these rebels flee before the presence of their 


104 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


queen ! If, in the hour of death, we have Mary on 
our side, what fear can we have of all the powers of 
hell ? David, in dread of the agony of death, com- 
forted himself with confidence in the death of his 
future Redeemer, and in the intercession of the Virgin 
mother: “For though I should walk in the midst of 
the shadow of death, I fear no evils, for thou art with 
me ; thy rod and thy staff they have comforted me.”* 
Cardinal Hugo understands the staff to signify the 
tree of the Cross, and the rod the intercession of Mary, 
who was the rod foretold by Isaias : “ And there shall 
come forth a rod out of the root of Jesse, and a flower 
shall rise up out of his root.”f This divine mother, 
says St. Peter Damian, is that powerful rod by which 
the fury of the infernal enemies is conquered. J Hence 
St. Antoninus encourages us, saying : If Mary is for 
us, who is against us ?§ Father Manuel Padial, of the 
Society of Jesus, being at the point of death, Mary 
appeared to him, and said, to comfort him : “ The 
hour has at length come when the angels, rejoicing, 
say to thee, Oh happy labors ! oh mortifications well 
recompensed !” At which words an army of devils 
was seen taking flight in despair, crying : “ Alas ! we 
have no power, for she who is without stain defends 

* Et si ambulavero in medio umbrae mortis, virga tua, et 
baculus tuus ipsa me consolata sunt. Psal. xxii. 4. 

t Egredietur virga de radice Jesse, et flos de radice ejus as- 
cendet. Isa. xi. 1. 

\ Haec est ilia virga, qua retunduntur impetus adversantium 
doemonum. Serm. de Ass. B. V. 

§ Si Maria pro nobis, quis contra nos. 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


105 


him.”* * * § In like manner, the devils assailed Father 
Jasper Haywood, when he was dying, with great 
temptations against faith ; he immediately commended 
himself to the most holy Virgin, and then was heard 
to exclaim : “ I thank thee, oh Mary, that thou hast 
come to my aid.”f 

St. Bonaventure says that Mary sends the arch- 
angel Michael, with all the angels, to the defence of 
her dying servants, to protect them from the assaults 
of evil spirits, and to receive the souls of all those 
who have especially and constantly recommended 
themselves to her.J 

When a man leaves this life, Isaias says that hell is 
in uproar, and sends its most terrible demons to tempt 
that soul before it leaves the body, and then after- 
wards to accuse it when it is presented at the tribunal 
of Jesus Christ to be judged : “ Hell below was in an 
uproar to meet thee ; at thy coming it stirred up the 
giants for thee.”§ But Richard says, that the de- 
mons, when that soul is defended by Mary, will not 
even dare to accuse it ; knowing that a soul protected 
by this great mother is never, and will never, be con- 


* Patrig. Menol. alii. 28 Apr. 

t Patrig. Men. etc. 

X Michael dux et princeps militiae coelestis cum omnibus ad- 
ministratoriis spiritibus, tuis, virgo, paret praeceptis, in defen- 
dendis, et suscipiendis de corpore animabus Fidelium, specialia- 
ter tibi, Domina, die, ac nocte se commendantium. In Spec. B. 
V. c. 3. 

§ Infernus subter te conturbatus est in occursum adventus 
tui, suscitabit sibi gigantes. Isa. xiv. 9. 


106 


GLORIES OF MART. 


demned.* * * § St. Jerome wrote to the virgin Eustochium, 
that Mary not only assists her dear servants in their 
death, but also comes to meet them in their passage 
to the other life, to encourage them and accompany 
them to the divine tribunal.f And this agrees with 
what the blessed Virgin said to St. Bridget, speaking 
of her servants when they are at the point of death : 
“ Then I, their most loving Lady and mother, hasten 
to them in death, that they may have consolation and 
comfort.”^ St. Vincent of Ferrer adds: The blessed 
Virgin receives the souls of the dying. The loving 
queen receives their souls under her protection, and 
she herself presents them to the judge her Son, and 
thus certainly procures their salvation. § This hap- 
pened to Charles, son of St. Bridget, who, dying 
in the perilous profession of a soldier, and far from 
his mother, the saint feared for his salvation ; but the 
blessed Virgin revealed to her that Charles was saved 
for the love he bore her, in recompense of which she 
had assisted him in death, and had suggested to him 
the Christian acts necessary to be made at that mo- 
ment. The saint saw at the same time Jesus upon a 
throne, and the devil bringing two accusations against 

* Quis apud judieem accusare audeat, cui viderit matrem 
patrocinantem ? Rice. ap. Pep. to. 5, Lez. 244. 

f Morientibus beata virgo, non tantum succurrit, sed etiam 
occurrit. Epist. 2. 

X Tunc ego carissima eorum domina et mater occurram eis in 
morte, ut ipsi consolationem et refrigerium habeant. Rev. lib. 
1, c. 29. 

§ Beata virgo animas morientium miscipit. Serm. de Ass. 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


107 


the most holy Virgin : the first, that Mary had pre- 
vented him from tempting Charles at the moment of 
death ; the second, that Mary herself had presented 
his soul to its judge, and thus had saved it without 
even giving him an opportunity to expose the reasons 
why he claimed it as his own. She then saw him 
driven from the presence of the judge, and the soul 
of Charles taken to heaven. 

“ Her bands are a healthful binding; ; in the latter 
end thou shalt find rest in her.”'* Blessed art thou, 
oh brother, if in death thou shalt find thyself bound 
by the sweet chains of love for the mother of God ! 
These chains are chains of salvation, which will secure 
to thee eternal salvation, and give thee in death that 
blessed peace which will be the commencement of thy 
eternal peace and rest. Father Binetti, in his book 
“ On the Perfections of our Lord,” relates that having 
been present at the death of a devoted servant of 
Mary, he heard from him these words before he 
breathed his last : “ Oh, my Father, if you knew what 
happiness I find in having served the most holy mother 
of God ! I could not describe to you the joy I feel at 
this moment.”f Father Suarez, because he was all his 
life very devoted to Mary, used to say, that he would 
willingly exchange all his knowledge for the merit 
of one Hail Mary, and died with so much joy, that 
he exclaimed at his last moment, “ I never imagined 
it would be so sweet to die, — non putabam tarn dulce 

* Vincula ejus alligatura salutaris, in novissimis invenies re- 
quiem in ea. Eecli. vi. 29, 31. t C. 31. 


108 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


esse mori.”* You too, devout reader, will doubtless 
feel the same peace and joy, if at death you can re- 
member having loved this good mother, who cannot 
but be faithful to her children, when they are faithful 
to her service, paying her their offerings of visits, ro- 
saries, and fastings, and especially thanking her, 
praising her, and often commending themselves to her 
powerful protection. 

Neither will you be deprived of this consolation on 
account of your sins, if from henceforth you will be 
careful to live well, and to serve this very grateful and 
gracious Lady. In the trials and temptations with 
which the devil will assail you, that he may throw 
you into despair, she will comfort you, and even come 
herself to assist you in death. Martin, brother of St. 
Peter Damian, as the saint himself relates, finding that 
he had offended God, went one day before an altar 
of Mary to dedicate himself to her service, putting his 
girdle around his neck in token of his servitude, and 
thus said : “ My Lady, mirror of purity, I, a poor sin- 
ner, have offended God and thee by violating chastity : 
I have no other remedy than to offer myself as thy ser- 
vant ; to thy service I dedicate myself to-day ; receive 
this rebel, do not despise me.” He then laid on the al- 
tar a certain sum of money, promising to pay the same 
every year as a tribute of his devotion to Mary. After 
some time Martin died ; but before his death he was 
heard one morning to say : “ Arise, arise, pay homage 
to my Lady and afterwards : “ What a favor is this, 
* Opusc. 83, c. 4. 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


109 


oh queen of heaven, that thou shouldst condescend 
to visit this thy poor servant. Bless me, oh Lady, 
and permit me not to be lost after thou hast honored 
me with thy presence.” At this moment his brother 
Peter entered. Martin related to him the visit of 
Mary, and how she had blessed him, lamenting that 
the persons present had not arisen at her entrance ; 
and shortly after quietly passed away to our Lord. Such 
will be your death also, oh my reader, if you are faithful 
to Mary, even if in your past life you have offended 
God. She will give you a sweet and happy death. 

And if then you are greatly alarmed and lose 
courage in view of the sins you have committed, she 
will come to comfort you as she came to Adolphus, 
Count of Alsace, who, having quitted the world and 
become a Franciscan, as the chronicles relate, was very 
devoted to the mother of God. His last days arrived, 
and at the remembrance of the life he had led in the 
world, and the rigor of divine justice, he began to fear- 
death and doubt of his salvation. Then Mary, who- 
never sleeps when her faithful servants are in trouble*, 
accompanied by many saints, appeared to him, and 5 
encouraged him with these tender words of consola- 
tion : “ My dear Adolphus, thou art mine, thou hast 
given thyself to me, then why dost thou so greatly 
fear death ?”* The servant of Mary was consoled’ 
by these words ; every fear disappeared, and he died 
in great peace and contentment. 

* Adolphe mi carissime, mori cur times, meus cum sis ? 

10 


110 


GLORIES OF MART. 


Let us, too, although we are sinners, take courage 
and have the confidence that Mary will come to assist 
us in death, and console us by her presence, if we 
serve and love her during the remainder of our life on 
this earth. Our queen, speaking one day to St. Ma- 
tilda, promised that she would be present at the death 
of all those devoted children who had faithfully served 
her in life.* Oh my God, what a consolation must it 
be in that last hour of life, when our lot for eternity 
is to be decided, to find close by our side the queen of 
heaven, who sustains and comforts us by promising us 
her protection ! Besides the examples already cited 
of the assistance afforded by Mary to her faithful ser- 
vants, there are innumerable others to be found in 
various books. This favor was granted to St. Clare, 
to St. Felix, a Capuchin, to the blessed Clara of Monte- 
falco, to St. Theresa, and St. Peter of Alcantara. But 
for our common consolation, I will mention the few 
following examples. Father Crasset relatesf that St. 
Mary of Oignies saw the blessed Virgin by the pillow 
of a devout widow of Villembroe, who was tormented 
by a burning fever. The most holy Mary was standing 
by her side consoling her, and cooling her with a fan. 
St. J ohn of Gody at death, expected a visit from Mary, 
to whom he was greatly devoted ; but finding she did 
not come, he was afflicted, and perhaps complained 

* Ego omnibus qui mihi pie deserviunt, volo in morte fidelis- 
sime tamquam mater piissima adesse eosque consolari ac pro- 
tegere. Ap. Bios. p. 2, Concl. an. fid. cap. 12. 

f Div. alia verg. tom. 1, tr. 1, q. 11. 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


Ill 


a little. But at length the holy mother appeared to 
him, and as if reproaching him for his want of confi- 
dence, said to him these tender words, which should 
encourage all the servants of Mary: “John, it is not 
in my heart, at this hour, to desert my children.”* 
As if she had said to him : My John, of what were 
you thinking? that I had abandoned you? Do you 
not know that I cannot abandon my devoted children 
at the hour of death ? I did not come before, because 
it was not yet time ; but now I come ready to take 
you, let us go to paradise. And soon after the saint 
expired, and flew to heaven to give thanks eternally 
to his most loving queen, f 

EXAMPLE. 

I will now relate another example by way of con- 
clusion to the subject of which I have been just speak- 
ing, and for the sake of showing how great is the ten- 
derness of this good mother towards her children when 
they are dying. 

The pastor of a certain place went to assist at the 
death-bed of a rich man. He was dying in a splendid 
house, and a multitude of relations, friends, and ser- 
vants, surrounded his bed. But among these, the 
priest saw a number of devils in the shape of hounds, 
who waited to seize upon his soul, and who actually 
did so ; for he died in sin. At the same time he was 

* Joannes non est meum, in hac liora meos dcvotos derelin- 
quere. 

f Bolland. 8 Martii. 


112 GLORIES OF MART. 

sent for by a poor woman, who was dying, and de- 
sired the holy sacraments ; not being able to leave the 
dying rich man, whose sonl was so much in need of his 
assistance, he sent another priest to her, who according- 
ly went, carrying with him the holy sacrament. He 
found in the dwelling of that good woman no servants, 
no retinue, no splendid furniture, for she was very poor, 
and we may suppose had only a little straw to lie upon. 
But what does he see ? He sees in that apartment a 
great light, and near the bed of the dying person was 
Mary the mother of God, who was consoling her, and 
with a cloth was wiping the sweat from her brow. 
The priest seeing Mary, had not the courage to enter, 
but she made a motion to him to approach. He en- 
tered, Mary pointed to a seat, that he might sit down 
and hear the confession of her servant. The poor 
woman then made her confession, received the holy 
sacrament with much devotion, and at last expired 
happily in the arms of Mary.* 

PRAYER. 

Oh my sweetest mother, what will be the death of 
me, a poor sinner ? Even now, when thinking of that 
great moment, in which I must die, and be presented 
at the divine tribunal, and remembering how often, by 
my wicked consent, I myself have written my own 
sentence of condemnation, I tremble, am confounded, 
and fear greatly for my eternal salvation. Oh Mary, 


Crisog. Mond. Mar. p. 3, d. 38. 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


113 


my hopes are in the blood of Jesus, and in thy inter- 
cession. Thou art the Queen of heaven ! the Lady of 
the universe ! it is sufficient to say that thou art the 
mother of God. Thou art great, but thy greatness 
does not separate thee from us ; it even inclines thee 
to have more compassion on our miseries. When our 
earthly friends are raised to any dignity, they seclude 
themselves from those whom they have left in a low 
estate, and will not condescend even to look at them. 
But it is not so with thy loving and noble heart. Where 
thou dost behold the greatest misery, there thou art 
most intent on giving relief. When invoked, thou dost 
immediately come to our aid, and even anticipate our 
supplications ; thou dost console us in our afflictions, 
dissipate all tempests, put down our enemies; in a 
word, thou dost never omit an opportunity of doing 
us good. Ever blessed be that divine hand which 
has united in thee so much majesty and so much ten- 
derness, so much greatness and so much love ! I 
always thank our Lord, and congratulate myself that 
I can regard thy happiness and mine, thy fate and 
mine as one. Oh consoler of the afflicted, console in 
his affliction one who recommends himself to thee. 
I am tortured with remorse for my many sins ; I am 
uncertain whether I have repented of them as I ought 
to have done ; I see how corrupt and imperfect are 
all my works. The devil is awaiting my death in 
order to accuse me. Divine justice violated must be 
satisfied. Oh my mother, what will become of me ? 

If thou dost not aid me, I am lost. Answer me, wilt 
10* 


114 


GLORIES OF MART. 


thou aid me ? Oh merciful Virgin, console me ; obtain 
for me strength to amend, and to be faithful to God 
during what remains to me of life. And when I shall 
find myself in the last agony of death, oh Mary ! my 
hope, do not abandon me ; then more than ever assist 
me, and save me from despair at the sight of my sins, 
of which the devil will accuse me. Oh Lady, pardon 
my boldness ; come, then, thyself to console me by 
thy presence. Grant me this favor which thou hast 
bestowed on so many; I also desire it. If my bold- 
ness is great, greater still is thy goodness, which seeks 
the most miserable to console them. In this, thy 
goodness, I trust. May it be to thy eternal glory 
that thou hast saved from hell a miserable wretch, 
and brought him to thy kingdom, where I hope to 
console myself by being always at thy feet to thank, 
bless, and love thee throughout eternity. Oh Mary, 
I wait for thee, do not leave me then disconsolate. 
Gome, come. Amen, amen. 


GLORIES OF MART. 


115 


CHAPTER III. 

SPES NOSTRA SALVE. 
Hail, our hope. 


SECTION I. 

MART IS THE HOPE OF ALL. 

Modern heretics cannot endure that we should sa- 
lute Mary in this manner by calling her our hope. 
Hail, our hope, “ spes nostra salve.” They say that 
God alone is our hope, and that he who places his 
hope in a creature is accursed of God.* Mary, they 
exclaim, is a creature, and, as a creature, how can she 
be our hope ? Thus say the heretics, but notwithstand- 
ing this, the Church requires all the clergy, and all re- 
ligious daily to raise their voices, and in the name of 
all the faithful, invoke and call Mary by the sweet 
name of our hope, the hope of all : “ Hail, our hope !” 

In two ways, says the angelic St. Thomas, can we 
place our hope in a person : as the principal cause, and 
as the intermediate cause. Those who hope for some 
favor from the king, hope for it from the king as 
sovereign, and hope for it from his minister or favorite 


* Maledictus homo qui eonfidit in homine. Jer. xvii. 5. 


116 


GLORIES OF MART. 


as intercessor. If the favor is granted, it comes in 
the first place from the king, but it comes through 
the medium of his favorite ; wherefore, he who asks a 
favor justly calls that intercessor his hope. The king 
of heaven, because he is infinite goodness, greatly de- 
sires to enrich us with his graces ; but, because con- 
fidence is necessary on our part, in order to increase 
our confidence, he has given us his own mother for 
our mother and advocate, and has given her all power 
to aid us ; and hence he wishes us to place in her all 
our hopes of salvation, and of every blessing. Those 
who place all their hope on creatures, without depend- 
ence upon God, as sinners do, who to obtain the 
friendship and favor of man, are willing to displease 
God, are certainly cursed by God, as Isaias says. 
But those who hope in Mary, as mother of God, 
powerful to obtain for them graces and life eter- 
nal, are blessed, and please the heart of God, who 
wishes to see that noble creature honored, who, more 
than all men and angels, loved and honored him in 
this world. 

Hence, we justly call the Virgin our hope, hoping, 
as Cardinal Bellarmine says, to obtain by her interces- 
sion what we could not obtain by our prayers alone.* 
We pray to her, says St. Anselm, in order that the 
dignity of the intercessor may supply our deficiencies.! 
Therefore, the saint adds, to supplicate the Virgin with 

* De Eeat. SS. lib. 2, cap. 2. 

t Ut dignitas intercessoris suppleat inopiam nostram. De 

Exc. Y. e. 6. 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


117 


such hope, is not to distrust the mercy of God, but to 
fear our own unworthiness.* * * § 

With reason does the Church, then, apply to Mary 
the words of Ecclesiasticus, with which she salutes 
her : “ Mother of holy hope ;”f that mother who in- 
spires us not with the vain hope of the miserable and 
transitory advantages of this life, but with the holy 
hope of the immense and eternal good of the blessed 
life to come. St. Ephrem thus salutes the divine 
mother: “Hail, hope of the soul ! hail, secure salva- 
tion of Christians ! hail, helper of sinners ! hail, defence 
of the faithful, and salvation of the world !”J St. Basil 
teaches us that, next to God, we have no other hope 
than Mary, and for this reason he calls her : After God 
our only hope, “Post Deum sola spes nostra;” and St. 
Ephrem, reflecting on the order of Providence in this 
life, by which God has ordained (as St. Bernard says, 
and we shall hereafter prove at length) that all those 
who are saved must be saved by means of Mary, 
says to her : Oh Lady, do not cease to receive and 
shelter us under the mantle of thy protection, since, 
after God, we have no hope but thee.§ St. Thomas 

* Unde Virginem interpellare, non est de divina misericordia 
diffidere, sed de propria indignitate formidare. Loc. cit. 

t Mater sanctae spei. Cap. xxiv. 24. 

\ Ave animae spes ; ave Christianorum firma salus ; ave pee- 
catorum adjutrix; ave vallum fidelium ; et mundi salus. Do 
Laud. Virg. 

§ Nobis non est alia quam a te fiducia, 0 Virgo sincer- 
issima ; sub alls tuae pietatis protege et custodi nos. De Laud. 
Virg. 


118 


GLORIES OF MART. 


of Villanova says the same thing, calling her our only 
refuge, help, and protection.* 

St. Bernard assigns the reason for this by saying : 
Behold, oh man, the design of God, a design arranged 
for our benefit, that he may be able to bestow upon 
us more abundantly his compassion ; for, wishing to 
redeem the human race, he has placed the price of 
our redemption in the hands of Mary, that she may 
dispense it at her pleasure*! 

God ordered Moses to make a propitiatory of the 
purest gold, telling him that from it he would speak 
to him : “ Thou shalt make also a propitiatory of the 
purest gold. Thence will I give orders, and will speak 
to thee.”J A certain author explains this propitiatory 
to be Mary, through whom the Lord speaks to men, 
and dispenses to them pardon, graces, and favors.§ 
And therefore St. Irenaeus says that the divine Word, 
before incarnating himself in the womb of Mary, sent 
the archangel to obtain her consept, because he would 
have the world indebted to Mary for the mystery of 

% 

* Tu unicum nostrum refugium, subsidium, et asylum. Con. 
8, de Cone. Virg. 

t Intuere, homo, consilium Dei, consilium pietatis ; redemp- 
turus humanum genus, universum prsetium contulit in Maria. 
Serm. de Nat. 

% Facies et propitiatorium de auro mundissimo Inde 

prsecipiam et loquar ad te. Exod. c. xxv. v. 17, 22. 

§ Te universus mundus continet commune propitiatorium. 
Inde pientissimu3 Dominus loquitur ad cor ; inde responsa dat 
benignitatis et venise ; inde munera largitur ; inde nobis omne 
bonum emanat. 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


119 


the incarnation.* Also the Idiot remarks, that every 
blessing, eveiy help, every grace that men have re- 
ceived or will receive from God, to the end of the 
world, has come to them, and will come to them, 
through the intercession and by means of Mary.f 
Rightly, then, did 'the devout Blosius exclaim: Oh 
Mary, who art so amiable, and so grateful to him who 
loves thee, who will be so stupid and unhappy as not 
to love thee ? In doubt and perplexity thou dost en- 
lighten the minds of those who have recourse to thee 
in their troubles. Thou art the comfort of those who 
trust in thee, in time of danger. Thou dost help 
those who invoke thee. Thou art, continues Blosius, 
next to thy divine Son, the secure salvation of thy 
servants. Hail, then, oh hope of the despairing! 
Hail, helper of the destitute ! Oh Mary, thou art 
omnipotent, since thy Son would honor thee by imme- 
diately doing all that thou desirest.J 

St. Germanus, recognizing Mary to be the source of 
every blessing and the deliverance from every evil, thus 
invokes her : Oh my Lady, thou alone art my help, 


* Quid est quod sine Marias consensu non perficitur incarna- 
tionis mysterium ? quia nempe vult illam Deus omnium bono- 
rum esse principium. Lib. 8, contr. Valent, c. 83. 

t Per ipsam habet mundus, et habiturus est omne bonum. 
In Pref. Contempl. B. M. 

X 0 Maria quis te non amet ? Tu in dubiis es lumen, in moe- 
roribus solatium, in periculis refugium. Tu post unigenitum 
tuum certa fidelium salus. Ave desperantium spes, ave desti- 
tutorum adjutrix. Cujus bonori tantum tribuit Filius, ut quod 
vis, mox fiat. Cimeliarch. Embol. 1, ad Mar. 


120 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


given me by God ; thou art the guide of my pilgrim- 
age, the support of my weakness, my riches in pover- 
ty, my deliverer from bondage, the hope of my salva- 
tion : graciously listen, I pray thee, to my supplica- 
tions, take compassion on my sighs, thou my queen, 
my refuge, my life, my help, my hope, my strength/* 

Justly, then, does St. Antoninus apply to Mary 
that passage of wisdom : “Now all good things came 
to me together with her.”f Since Mary is the mother 
of God and the dispens'er of all good, the world may 
truly say, and especially those in the world who qre 
devoted to this queen, that, together with devotion to 
Mary, they have obtained every good tliing.J Where- 
fore the Abbot of Celles said positively : He who has 
found Maiy finds every good thing.§ He finds all 
graces and all virtues ; since she by her powerful in- 
tercession obtains for him in abundance all that he 
needs to make him rich in divine grace. She gives us 
to know that she has with her all the riches of God, 
that is, the divine mercies, that she may dispense them 

* Oh Domina mea, sola mihi ex Deo solatium, itineris mei di- 
rectio, debilitatis mese potentia, mendicitatis meas divitiae, vul- 
nerum meorum medicina, dolorum meorum revelatio, vincu- 
lorum meorum solatio, salutis meae spes; exaudi orationes 
meas, miserere suspiriorum meorum, Domina mea, refugium, 
vita, auxilium, spes et robur meum. In Encom. Deip. 

t Venerunt autem mihi omnia bona pariter cum ilia. Cap. 
vii. v. 11. 

% Omnium bonorum mater est ; et venerunt mihi omnia bona 
cum ilia, scilicet virgine, potest dicere mundus. S. Anton. Part. 
4, tit. 17, c. 20. 

§ Inventa Maria, invenitur omne bonum. 


GLORIES OF MARY. 121 

for the benefit of those who love her. “ With me are 
riches and glory, that I may enrich them that love 
me.”* * * § Whence St. Bonaventure says: We should 
all keep our eyes fixed on the hands of Mary, that 
through her we may receive the blessings we desire.f 
Oh ! how many of the proud have found humility 
through devotion to Mary ; how many of the violent, 
meekness ; how many blind, the light ; how many de- 
spairing, confidence ; how many lost, salvation ! And 
precisely this she herself predicted when she pro- 
nounced in the house of Elizabeth that sublime canti- 
cle : “ Behold, from henceforth all generations shall 
call me blessed.”^ Which words St. Bernard repeats, 
and says : All nations will call thee blessed,, for to all 
nations thou hast given life and glory ; in thee sinners 
find pardon, and the just find perseverance in divine 
grace. § Whence the devout Lanspergius represents 
the Lord thus speaking to the world: Venerate my 
mother with especial veneration. Oh men, he says, 
poor children of Adam, who five in the midst of so 
many enemies and so much misery, strive to honor 
with particular affection my mother and yours. I have 

* Mecum sunt divitise et opes superbae . . . . ut ditem diligen- 
tes me. Prov. viii. 18-21. 

t Oculi omnium nostrum ad manus Mariae semper debent res- 
picere, ut per manus ejus aliquid boni accipiamus. In Spec. 

% Ecce enim ex hoc beatam me dicent omnes generationes. 
Luc. i. 48. 

§ Ex hoc beatam te dicent omnes generationes, quae omnibus 
generationibus vitam et gloriam genuisti. In te peccatores ve- 
niam, justi gratiam inveniunt in aeternum. Serm. 2, in Pentec. 

11 


122 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


given her to the world as an example of purity, a ref- 
uge and asylum for the afflicted.* That is, I have 
given Mary to the world for your example, that from 
her you may learn to live as you ought ; and for your 
refuge, that you may have recourse to her in your 
tribulations. This my child, says God, I have created 
such that no one can fear her, or be unwilling to 
have recourse to her, for I have created her with so 
benign and compassionate a nature, that she will not 
despise any who seek her protection, and she will deny 
no favor to any who ask it. She spreads the mantle 
of her compassion over all, and never permits any one 
to go from her feet unconsoled. May the great good- 
ness of our God, then, be ever blessed, who has given 
us this great mother and advocate, so loving and ten- 
der. 

Oh ! how tender are the sentiments of confidence 
which filled the heart of the most loving St. Bonaven- 
ture for his dear Redeemer Jesus, and for our loving 
intercessor Mary ! Let the Lord chastise me as much 
as seemeth to him good, I know that he will not re- 
fuse himself to those who love him and who seek him 
with an upright heart. I will embrace him with my 


* Matrem meam veneratione prsecipua venerare; ego enim 
mundo dedi in puritatis exemplum, in presidium tutissimum, 
ut sit tribulatis asylum, quam nemo formidet; nemo ad earn 
accedere trepidet. Propterea namque adeo feci earn mitem, 
adeo misericordem ut neminem aspernat, nulli se neget ; omni- 
bus pietatis sinum apertum teneat, neminem a se redire tristem 
sinat. Lib. 4, Min. Op. 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


123 


love, and I will not let him go till he has blessed me, and 
he will not depart without me. If I can do nothing* 
else, at least I will hide myself in his wounds ; there I 
will remain, and out of himself he shall not be able to 
find me.* Finally, he adds, if my Redeemer, for my sins, 
drives me from his feet, I will cast myself at the feet 
of his mother Mary, and, prostrate there, I will not de- 
part until she has obtained my pardon ; for this mother 
of mercy has never failed to take pity on misery and 
console the wretched who seek her aid ; and therefore, 
if not from obligation, at least from compassion, she 
will not fail to induce her Son to pardon me.f 

Look upon us, then, we will conclude with the 
words of Euthymius, look upon us, then, with thine eyes 
of compassion, oh our most merciful mother, for we 
are thy servants, and in thee we have placed all 
our hope.J 

EXAMPLE. 

It is related in the Fourth Part of the Treasure of the 
Rosary, miracle eighty-fifth, that a gentleman who was 

* Quantumcumque me Dens praesciverat, scio quod seipsum 
negare non potest. Eum amplexabor, et si mihi non benedixe- 
rit, eum non demittam ; et sine me recedere non valebit. In 
cavernis vulnerum suorum me abscondam, ibique extra se me 
invenire non poterit. 

t Ad matris suae pedes provolutus stabo, et mibi veniam ini- 
petret; ipsa enim non misereri ignorat; et miseris non satis- 
facere ni^jyuam scivit. Ideoque ex compassione mihi ad indul- 
gentiam Filium inclinabit. P. 3, Stirn. Div. Am. c. 13. 

% Respice, 0 mater miser icordiosissima, respice servos tuos ; 
in te enim omnem spem nostram collocavimu3. Orat. de Deip. 


124 GLORIES OF MART. 

ft 

most devoted to the divine mother, had set apart in his 
■palace an oratory where, before a beautiful statue of 
Mary, he was accustomed often to remain praying, 
not only by day, but also by night, interrupting his 
rest to go and honor his beloved Lady ; but his wife, 
for he was married, though she was a very devout 
person, observing that her husband in the deepest 
silence of the night left his bed, and going from his 
apartment did not return for a long time, became 
jealous, and was suspicious of evil ; wherefore, one 
day, to free herself from this thorn which tormented 
her, she ventured to ask her husband if he ever loved 
any other woman but herself. Smiling, he answered 
her : “I assure you that I love the most amiable lady 
in the world ; to her I have given my whole heart, 
and rather would I die than cease to love her ; if you 
knew her, you would say that I ought to love her 
more than I do.” He meant the most holy Virgin, 
whom he loved so tenderly. But his wife, conceiving 
a greater suspicion than before, in order to ascertain 
the truth better, interrogated him anew, and asked 
him if he arose from, his bed and left the room every 
night to meet that lady. The gentleman, who did 
not perceive the great trouble of his wife, answered 
“ Yes.” The wife was completely deceived, and, 
blinded by passion, one night when her husband, ac- 
cording to his custom, had left the chamber, seized a 
knife in despair, cut her throat, and very soon di'efl. Her 
husband having finished his devotions, returned to his 
apartment, but, on going to bed, found it wet. He 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


125 


called his wife ; she did not answer : he tried to arouse 
her ; she was immovable. At length he took a light, 
found the bed full of blood, and his wife dead, with 
her throat cut. Then he perceived that she had de- 
stroyed herself through jealousy. What does he do ? 
He locks the door of his apartment, returns to the 
chapel, prostrates himself before the most blessed 
Y-irgin, and, shedding a torrent of tears, said to her : 
“ Oh my mother, behold my affliction : if thou dost 
not console me, to whom shall I go ? Remember I 
am so unfortunate as to see my wife dead and lost 
because I have come hither to pay thee honor : oh my 
mother, who dost help us in all our troubles, help me 
now.” How surely does every one obtain what he 
wishes if he supplicates with confidence this mother of 
mercy ! No sooner did he offer this prayer than he 
heard a servant-maid calling him : “ My lord, come 
to your apartment, for your lady calls you.” The 
gentleman could hardly believe these words for joy. 
Return, he said to the servant, and see if she really 
calls me. She returned, entreating him to go quickly, 
for her mistress was waiting for him. He went, 
opened the door, and found his wife living ; she threw 
herself at his feet in tears and begged him to pardon 
her, saying : “ Oh, my husband, the mother of God, 
through thy prayers, has delivered me from hell.” 
Weeping for joy, they went to their oratory to thank 
the blessed Virgin. The next day the husband made 
a feast for all their relations, to whom the wife herself 
related the facts, at the same time showing the marks 
il # 


126 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


of the wound, and all were more deeply inflamed with 
the love of the divine mother. 


PRAYER. 

Oh mother of holy love, oh our life, our refuge, and 
our hope, thou knowest that thy Son Jesus Christ, 
not content with making himself our perpetual inter- 
cessor with the eternal Father, would have thee also 
engaged in obtaining for us, by thy prayers, the divine 
mercy. He has ordained that thy prayers should aid 
in our salvation, and has given such power to them 
that they obtain whatever they ask ; I, a miserable 
t sinner, turn to thee then, oh hope of the wretched. 
I hope, oh Lady, through the merits of Jesus Christ 
and thy intercession, to secure my salvation. In these 
I trust ; and. so entirely do I trust in thee, that if my 
eternal salvation were in my own hands, I would wish 
to place it in thine ; for in thy mercy and protection I 
would trust far more than in my bwn works. My 
mother and my hope, do not abandon me, as I deserve. 
Behold my misery, pity me, help me, save me. I 
confess that I have often, by my sins, shut out the 
light and aid which thou hast obtained for me from 
the Lord. 

But thy compassion for the wretched and thy 
power with God are far greater than the number and 
malignity of my sins. It is known in heaven and on 
earth that he who is protected by thee will certainly 
not perish. Let all forget me, but do not thou forget 


GLORIES OF MARY. 127 

me, oh mother of the omnipotent God. Say unto 
God that I am thy servant, tell him that I am de- 
fended by thee, and I shall be saved. Oh Mary, I 
trust in thee ; in this hope I live, and in this hope I 
wish to die, repeating always: “Jesus is my only 
hope, and after Jesus, Mary.”* 


SECTION- JI. 

MARY THE HOPE OF SINNERS. 

After God had created the earth he created two 
lights, the greater and the less : the sun to give light 
by day, and the moon to give light by night.f The 
sun, says Cardinal Hugo, was the type of Jesus Christ, 
in whose light the just rejoice, who live in the day- 
light of divine grace ; but the moon was the type of 
Mary, by whom sinners are enlightened, who are living 
in the night of sin.J, Mary, then, being the moon, so 
propitious to miserable sinners, if any unhappy per- 
son, says Innocent III. finds that he has fallen into 
this night of sin, what must he do ? Since he has 
lost the light of the sun, by losing divine grace, let 
him turn to the moon, let him pray to Mary, and she 
will give him light to know the misery of his condition, 
/ x 
* Unica spes mea Jesus, et post Jesum Virgo Maria, 
t Feeitque Deus duo luminaria magna; luminare majus ut 
praeesset diei, luminare minus ut praeesset nocti. Gen. i. 16. 

X Luminare majus Christus, qui praeest justis ; luminare mi- 
nus, idest Maria, quae praeest peccatoribus. 


128 GLORIES OF MARY. 

and strength to come forth from it.* St. Methodius 
says that by the prayers of Mary innumerable sinners 
are continually converted.f 

One of the titles by which the holy Church teaches 
us to invoke the divine mother, and which most en- 
courages poor sinners, is the title of “ Refuge of Sin- 
ners,” with which we invoke her in the Litanies. 
There were anciently, in Judea, cities of refuge ; and 
criminals, who sought protection in them, were free 
from the penalty of their offences. Now, there are not 
so many cities of refuge, but instead of these there is 
one only, Mary; of whom it was spoken: Glorious 
things are said of thee, oh city of God — Gloriosa dicta 
sunt de te civitas Dei.]; But with this difference, that 
not all criminals could find refuge in those ancient 
cities, nor for all sorts of crime ; but under the mantle 
of Mary all offenders’ may find protection, whatever 
crimes they have committed. It is sufficient for any 
one to have recourse to her for protection. “I am the 
city of refuge for all those who nee to me,”§ as St. 
John of Damascus says, speaking in her name. 

It is enough that we have recourse to her. He 
who has been so happy as to enter this city need not 
speak in order to secure his safety. “ Assemble your- 

* Qui jacet in nocte culpas, respiciat lunam, deprecetur Mari- 
am. Serm. 2, de Ass. B. V. 

t Mariae virtute et precibus pene innumerae peccatorum con- 
versiones fiunt. 

X Psal. lxxxvi. 3. 

§ Ego civitas refugii omnium ad me confugientium. Or. 2, 
de Dorm. 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


129 


selves, and let us enter into the fenced city, and let us 
be silent there.”* This fenced city, as the blessed 
Albertus Magnus explains it, is the holy Virgin, whose 
defence is grace and glory. “ Let us be silent there,” 
according to the gloss : “ since we may not dare to 
supplicate the Lord for pardon, it is enough that we 
enter into the city and are silent, for then Mary will 
speak and will pray for us.”f Whence a devout 
writer exhorts all sinners to seek shelter under the 
mantle of Mary, saying: Fly, oh Adam, oh Eve, 
and ye their children, who have offended God ; fly 
and take refuge in the bosom of this good mother. 
Bo you not know that she is the only city of refuge, * 
and the only hope of sinners ?J As St. Augustine 
has called her. The only hope of sinners: “ Unica 
spes peccatorum.”§ 

Hence St. Ephrem says : Thou art the only advo- 
cate of sinners, and of those who are deprived of 
every help; and he thus salutes -her: Hail! refuge 
and retreat of sinners, to whom alone they can flee 
with confidence.! And this is what David intended 

• 

* Convenite celeriter et ingrediamur civitatem munitam, et 
sileamus ibi. Jerem. viii. 14. 

f Et sileamus ibi. Quia non audemus deprecari Dominum 
quem offendimus, ipsa deprecetur et roget. 

% Fugite 0 Adam, 0 Eva, fugite eorum liberi intra sinum ma- 
tris Mari®. Ipsa est ci vitas refugii, spes unica peecatorum. B. 
Fernandez, in c. iv. Gen. 

§ Serm. 18, de Sanct. 

1 Ave peecatorum refugium et hospitium : ad quam nimirum t 
confugere possunt peccatores. De. Laud. Virg. 


130 


GLORIES OF MAEL 


to express, says a certain author, when he said : “ He 
hath protected me in the secret place of his taber- 
nacle.”* And what is this tabernacle, if not Mary ? 
As St. Germanus calls her, a tabernacle made by God, 
in which none but God has entered, in order to com- 
plete the great mysteries of human redemption.! On 
this subject the great Father St. Basil says : The Lord 
has given us Mary as a public hospital, where all the 
infirm who are poor, and destitute of every other help, 
may assemble : “ Aperuit nobis Deus publicum vale- 
tudinarium.” Now, in hospitals established expressly 
for the reception of the poor, I would ask, who have 
* the first claim to be received, if not the poorest and 
most infirm ? 

Wherefore, let him who finds himself most miserable, 
because most destitute of merit, and most afflicted by 
the maladies of the soul, namely, sins, say to Mary : 
Oh Lady, thou art the refuge of the infirm ; do not 
reject me, for, because I am the poorest and most 
infirm of all, I have the greater claim upon thee to 
receive me. Let us say with St. Thomas of Villa- 
nova : Oh Mary, we poor sinners know no refuge but 
thee. Thou art our only hope ; to thee we intrust 
our salvation. Thou art the only advocate with Jesus 
Christ ; to thee we all have recourse.! 

* Protexit me in abseondito tabernaculi sui. Tsai. xxvi. 5. 

t Tabernaculum a Deo fabrication, in quo solus Deus ingressu 3 
est sacris mysteriis operaturus in te pro salute omnium homi- 
num. 

X Nescimus aliud refugium nisi te. Tu sola es unica spes 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


131 


In the Revelations of St. Bridget, Mary is called 
the star going before the sun : “ Sidus vadens ante 
solem.”* By which we are to understand, that when 
devotion to the divine mother first dawns in a sinful 
soul, it is a certain sign that God will soon come to 
enrich her with his grace. The glorious St. Bona- 
venture, in order to revive in the hearts of sinners con- 
fidence in the protection of Mary, represents to us the 
sea in a tempest, in which sinners who have fallen 
from the bark of divine grace, tossed about by remorse 
of conscience, and by the fear of divine justice, with- 
out light and without a guide, have almost lost the 
breath of hope, and are nearly sinking in despair ; at 
this critical moment the saint, pointing to Mary, who 
is commonly called “ The star of the sea,” raises his 
voice and exclaims : Oh poor, lost sinners, do not 
despair, lift your eyes to that beautiful star, take cour- 
age and trust, for she will guide you out of the tem- 
pest, and bring you to the port of safety, f 

St. Bernard has said the same thing : If you would 
not be overwhelmed in the tempest, turn to this star, 
and call Mary to thy aid.J The devout Blosius also 
says, that she is the only refuge for those who have 
offended God : the asylum of all those who are 

nostra, in qua confidimus. Tu sola patrona nostra, ad quam 
omrfes aspicimus. Serm. 3, de Nat. B. V. 

* Rev. entr. c. 50. 

t Respirate ad illam perditi peccatores, et perducet vos ad 
portum. In Psal. viii. 

% Si non vis obrui procellis, respice stellam, voea Mariam. 
Horn. 2, sup. Miss. 


132 


GLORIES OF MAEY. 


tempted and afflicted.* * * § This mother of mercy is all 
kindness and all sweetness, not only with the just, 
but also with sinners and those who are in despair ; 
so that when she beholds them turning towards her, 
and sees that they are with sincerity seeking her help, 
she at once welcomes them, aids them, and obtains 
their pardon from her Son. f She neglects none, how- 
ever unworthy they may be, and refuses to none her 
protection : she consoles all ; and no sooner do they call 
upon her, than she hastens to their help.}; With her 
gentleness she often wins their devotion, and raises 
those sinners who are most averse to God, and who 
are the most deeply plunged in the lethargy of them 
vices, that she may dispose them to receive divine 
grace, and at last render themselves worthy of eternal 
glory. § God has created this his beloved daughter 
with a disposition so kind and compassionate, that no 
one can hesitate to have recourse to her intercession.! 
The devout writer concludes with saying: It is not 


* Ipsa peccantiura singular© refugium; ipsa omnium quos 
tentatio urget, aut calamitas, aut persecutio, tutissimum asylum. 

f Tota mitis est et suavis, non solum justis, verum etiam pec- 
catoribus, et desperatis. Quos, ut ad se ex corde clamare con- 
spexerit, statim adjuvat, suscipit et Judici reconciliat. 

X Nullum aspernens, nulli se negat; omnes consolatur, ct 
tenuiter invocata, prsesto adest. 

§ Sua bonitate saepe eos, qui Deo minus afficiuntur ad sui 
cultum blande allicit; potenterque excitat, ut per hujusmodi 
studium praeparentur ad gratiam, et tandem apti reddantur 
regno coelorum. 

I Tabs a Deo facta est, ut nemo ad earn accedere trepidet. 


GLORIES OF MARY. 133 

possible that any one can be lost, who with exact- 
ness and humility practises devotion to this divine 
mother.* * * § 

She is called a plane-tree : As a plane-tree was I 
exalted : “ Quasi platanus exaltata sum.”f Sinners 
may understand by this, that as the plane-tree gives 
a shelter to travellers, where they may take refuge 
from the heat of the sun, thus Mary, when she sees 
the anger of divine justice kindled against them, in- 
vites them to resort to the shelter of her protection. 
St. Bonaventure remarks that Isaias, in his day, la- 
mented, and said : “ Behold, thou art angry and we 

have sinned there is none that riseth up and 

taketh hold of thee ;”J because Mary was not yet 
born into the world. § But now, if God is offended 
with any sinner, and Mary undertakes to protect him, 
she restrains the Son from punishing him, and saves 
him. || Also, continues St. Bonaventure, no one can be 
found more fit than Mary to place her hand upon the 
sword of divine justice, that it may not descend upon 
the head of the sinner. Richard of St. Laurence 
expresses the same thought, when he says : God la- 
mented, before the birth of Mary, that there was no 

* Fieri non potest, nt pereat, qui Marias sedulus et humilis 
cultor extiterit. In can. Vit. Spir. cap. 18. 

t Eccli. xxiv. 19. 

X Ecce tu iratus es, et peccavimus .... non est qui consurgat, 
et teneat te. Isa. Lxiv. 5, 7. 

§ Ante Mariam non fuit qui sic Deum detinere auderet. 

| Detinet Filium ne peccatoribus percutiat. 

Nemo tarn idoneus, qui gladio Domini manus objiciat. 

12 


134 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


one to restrain him from punishing the sinner; but 
Mary being bora, she appeases him.* * * § 

St. Basil encourages sinners with the same thought, 
and says : Oh sinner, be not timid, but in all thy 
necessities flee to Mary, invoke her aid, and thou wilt 
always find her ready to assist thee, for it is the divine 
will that she should aid all men in all their necessi- 
ties.! This mother of mercy has such a desire to save 
the most abandoned sinners, that she even goes to seek 
them ; and if they have recourse to her, she will surely 
find a method of rendering them dear to God. 

Isaac being desirous to eat the flesh of some veni- 
son, promised to give his benediction in exchange for 
it to Esau ; but Rebecca wishing that her other son 
Jacob 'should receive tins benediction, ordered him to 
bring her two kids, for she would prepare the food 
that Isaac loved. “ Go thy way to the flock, bring 
me two kids.”]; St. Antoninus says that Rebecca was 
the type of Mary, who says to the angels, Bring me 
sinners (who are typified by the kids), that I may pre- 
pare them in such a manner (by obtaining for them 
sorrow and good resolutions) as to render them dear 
and acceptable to my Lord.§ The Abbot F rancone, pur- 

* Querebatur Dominus ante Mariam : Non est qui consurgat, 
et teneat me. Ezecli. xxii. Donee inventa est Maria, quae tenuit 
eum, donee emolliret. De Laud. Virg. 

t Ne diffidas-, peccator, sed in eunetis Mariam sequere et in- 
voca, quam voluit Deus in eunetis subvenire. De Annunc. B. 
Virg. 

% Pergens ad gregem, affer mihi duos haedos. Gen. xxvii. 9. 

§ Part. 4, tit. 15, c. 2. 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


135 


suing the same thought, says, that Mary so well un- 
derstands how to prepare these kids, that they not only 
equal, but sometimes even surpass the flavor of veni- 
son.* 

The blessed Virgin herself revealed to St. Bridget, 
that no sinner in the world is so great an enemy to 
God, that if he has recourse to her and invokes her aid, 
does not return to God and is not restored to his fa- 
vor, f And the same St. Bridget heard one day Jesus 
Christ saying to his mother, that she could obtain the 
divine favor even for Lucifer, if he would humble him- 
self so far as to ask her help.J That proud spirit 
will never stoop to implore the protection of Mary, but 
if such a thing could happen, Mary would take pity 
upon him, and the power of her prayers would obtain 
from God his pardon and salvation. But what cannot 
happen to the devil may well happen to sinners who 
seek the help of this mother of mercy. 

Noe's ark also prefigured Mary ; because as in 
that all the animal creation found refuge, so under the 
mantle of Mary all sinners find protection, who have 
made themselves like the brutes by their vices and 
sensuality. With this difference, however, says a cer- 
tain author : The brutes entered into the ark and re- 

* Vere sapiens mulier, quae novit sic hsedos condire, ut gra- 
tiam cervorum cosequent, aut etiam superent. Tom. 3, de Grat. 

f Nullus ita abjectus a Deo, qui si me invocaverit, non rever- 
tatur ad Deum. 

X Etiam diabolo misericordiam exbiberes si humiliter peteret. 
Rev. 1. 1, c. 6. 


136 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


mained brutes still ; the wolf remained a wolf, tbe 
tiger a tiger.* But under tbe mantle of Mary the 
wolf becomes a lamb, the tiger a dove. St. Gertrude 
once saw Mary with her mantle outspread, and under it 
wild beasts of various kinds, leopards, lions, and bears ; 
and the Virgin not only did not drive them from her, 
but with her gentle hand kindly received them and 
caressed them. The saint understood that these wild 
beasts were miserable sinners, who when they take 
refuge with Mary are received by her with sweetness 
and love.f 

Justly, then, did St. Bernard say to the Virgin : 
Oh Lady, thou dost abhor no sinner, however aban- 
doned and vile he may be, when he has recourse to thee ; 
if he asks thy help thou wilt condescend to extend thy 
kind hand to draw him from the depths of despair. J 
Oh ever blessed and thanked be our God, oh most 
amiable Mary, who made thee so merciful and kind to- 
wards the most miserable sinners. Oh, wretched are 
those who do not love thee, and who, having it in their 
power to seek help of thee, do not trust in thee ! He 
who does not implore the aid of Mary is lost ; but 
who has ever been lost that had recourse to her ? 

It is related in Scripture that Booz permitted the 


* Quod area animalia suscepit, animalia servavit. Paciuccli. 
de. B. Y. 

+ Ap. Bios. Mon. Spir. cap. 1. 

X Tu peccatorem quantumcumque foetidum non horres, si ad 
te suspiraverit, tu ilium a desperationis baratro pia manu retra- 
ins. Orat. Paneg. ad B. Y. 


GLORIES OF MART. 


137 


woman named Ruth to glean the ears that the reapers 
dropped and left behind them : “ Colligebat spicas post 
terga metentium.”* St. Bonaventure adds, that as 
Ruth found favor in the eyes of Booz, so Mary has 
found favor in the eyes of the Lord, and is permitted 
to glean after the reapers.]- The reapers are the apos- 
tolic laborers, missionaries, preachers, and confessors, 
who toil through the day to gather and win souls to 
God. But there are some rebellious and obdurate 
souls who are left behind even by these reapers, and 
it is granted to Mary alone by her powerful interces- 
sion to save these abandoned ears. But unhappy are 
those who do not yield themselves to this sweet Lady ! 
for they will be entirely lost and accursed ! Blessed, 
on the other hand, are those who have recourse to 
this good mother ! There is no sinner in the world, 
says the devout Blosius, so lost and sunk in sin, that 
Mary would abhor him and reject him. Ah, if such 
would seek her aid, this good mother could and would 
reconcile them to her Son, and obtain for them par- 
don.]; 

With reason, then, oh my sweetest queen, does St. 
John of Damascus salute thee and call thee : “ The 

* Ruth ii. 3. 

t Ruth in oculis Booz, Maria in oculis Domini hanc gratiam 
invenit, ut ipsa spicas, idest aniinas a messoribus derelictas, col- 
ligere ad veniam possit. In Spe. cap. 8. 

\ Nullum tarn execrabilem peccatorem orbis habet, quern ipsa 
abominetur, et a se repellat; quemque dilectissimo nato suo 
(modo auam precetur opem) non possit, sciat et velit reconciliare. 
Bios, de dictis, P. P. c. 5. 


12 * 


138 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


hope of the despairing.”* Justly does St. Laurence 
Justinian name thee : “ The hope of evil-doers. ”f St. 
Augustine: “The only refuge of sinners.”]; St. 
Ephrem : “ The secure haven for the shipwrecked.”§ 
The same saint calls thee even by another appellation : 
“ The protectress of the condemned.”! Finally, St. 
Bernard, with reason, exhorts the desperate not to 
despair ; whence, full of joy and tenderness towards 
this his most dear mother, he asks her lovingly : Oh 
Lady, who would not trust in thee, if thou dost thus 
relieve even the despairing 1 I do not doubt in the 
least, he adds, that if we always applied to thee we 
should obtain what we wish. In thee, then, let the 
despairing hope.®|[ St. Antoninus relates that a sinner 
finding himself in disgrace before God, imagined him- 
self standing before the tribunal of Jesus Christ : the 
devil was accusing him and Mary defending him. The 
enemy presentedragainst this poor criminal the catalogue 
of his offences, which, placed in the balance of divine 
justice, far outweighed his good works; but what 
then did his great advocate do ? She extended her 
kind hand and placed it in the other scale ; it de- 
scended in favor of her suppliant, and thus it was 

* Salve spes desperatorum. 

t Spes delinquentium. P. P. cap. 5. 

% Unica spes peccatorum. 

§ Naufragorum portus tutissimus. 

1 Protectrix damnatorum. 

IF Quis non sperabit in te, quae etiam adjuvas desperatos ? 
Non dubito, quod si ad te venerimus ; habebimus quod volemus. 
In te ergo speret qui desperat. Sup. Salv. Reg. 


GLORIES OF MART. 


139 


given him to understand, that she would obtain his 
pardon if he would change his life ; and, indeed, after 
that vision he was converted and changed his life. 

EXAMPLE. 

The blessed John Erolto, who, through humility, 
called himself the disciple, relates* that there was once 
a married man who lived in disgrace in the sight of 
God. His wife, a virtuous woman, not being able to 
induce him to abandon his vicious courses, entreated 
him that at least, while he was in so miserable a con- 
dition, he would offer this devotion to the mother of 
God, namely, to say a “ Hail Mary” every time he passed 
before her altar. He accordingly began to practice 
this devotion. One night, when he was about to com- 
mit a sin, he saw a light, and, on closer observation, 
perceived that it was a lamp burning before a holy 
image of the blessed Virgin, who held the infant Jesus 
in her arms. He said a “ Hail Mary,” as usual ; but 
what did he see ? He saw the infant covered with 
wounds, and fresh blood flowing from them. Both 
terrified and moved in his feelings, he remembered 
that he himself too had wounded his Redeemer by 
his sins, and began to weep, but he observed that the 
child turned away from him. In deep confusion, he 
had recoiirse to the most holy Virgin, saying : “ Moth- 
er of mercy, thy Son rejects me ; I can find no advo- 
cate more kind and more powerful than thou, who art 


* In Promptuar. 


140 GLORIES OF MARY. 

his mother ; my queen, aid me, and pray to him in my 
behalf.” The divine mother answered him from that 
image: “You sinners call me mother of mercy, but 
yet you do not cease to make me mother of misery, 
renewing the passion of my Son, and my dolors.” 
But because Mary never sends away disconsolate those 
who cast themselves at her feet, she began to entreat 
her Son that he would pardon that miserable sinner. 
Jesus continued to show himself unwilling to grant 
such a pardon, but the holy Virgin, placing the in- 
fant in the niche, prostrated herself before him, say- 
ing: “My Son, I will not leave thy feet until thou 
hast pardoned this sinner.” “ My mother,” answered 
Jesus, “ I can deny thee nothing ; dost thou wish for 
his pardon ? for love of thee I will pardon him. Let 
him come and kiss my wounds.” The sinner approach- 
ed, weeping bitterly, and as he kissed the wounds of 
the infant, they were healed. Then Jesus embraced 
him as a sign of pardon. He changed his conduct, 
led a holy life, and was ever full of love to the blessed 
Virgin, who had obtained for him so great a favor. 

PRAYER. 

I venerate, oh most pure Virgin Mary, thy most sa- 
cred heart, which was the delight and repose of 
God ; a heart filled with humility, purity, and divine 
love. I, an unhappy sinner, come to thee with a heart 
filled with uncleanness and wounds. Oh mother of 
mercy, do not on this account despise me, but let it 
excite thee to a greater compassion, and come to my 


GLORIES OF MARY. 141 

help. Do not look for virtue or merits in me before 
thou grantest me thy aid ; I am lost, and only merit 
hell. Look at nothing, I pray thee, but the confi- 
dence I have in thee, and the desire I cherish of 
amending my life. Look at what Jesus has done and 
suffered for me, and then abandon me if thou canst. 
I offer to thee all the afflictions of his life, the cold 
that he suffered in the stable, his journey to Egypt, 
the blood that he shed, his poverty, toil, sweat, and 
sadness, the death he endured in thy presence, for 
love of me ; and, for the love of Jesus, promise to 
save me. Ah, my mother, I will not and I cannot 
fear that thou wilt cast me from thee, when I flee to 
thee and implore thy help. To fear this, would be 
unjust to thy mercy, which seeks the miserable to re- 
lieve them. Oh Lady, do not refuse thy compassion 
to him to whom Jesus has not refused his blood ; but 
the merits of this blood will not be applied to me, if 
thou dost not recommend me to God. From thee I 
hope salvation. I do not ask of thee riches, honors, or 
the other goods of earth ; I only ask of thee the grace of 
God, love for thy Son, the fulfilment of his will, and 
. paradise, where I may love him eternally. Is it pos- 
sible that thou wilt not hear me ? No, already thou 
dost hear me, as I hope ; already thou art praying for 
me, already thou art procuring me the favors I ask, al- 
ready thou art receiving me under thy protection. My 
mother, do not leave me ; continue, continue to pray for 
me, until thou seest me safe in heaven at thy feet, to 
bless and thank thee through all eternity. Amen. 


142 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


CHAPTER IV. 

AD TE CLAMAMUS EXULES FILII HEVjE. 
To thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve. 


SECTION I. 

HOW READY MARY IS TO SUCCOR THOSE WHO CARL UPON HER. 

We poor children of the unhappy Eve, guilty be- 
fore God of her sin, and condemned to the same 
punishment, go wandering through this valley of tears, 
exiles from our country, weeping and afflicted by in- 
numerable pains of body and soul ! But blessed is 
he who in the midst of so many miseries turns to the 
consoler of the world, to the refuge of the unhappy, 
to the great mother of God, and devoutly invokes her 
and supplicates her ! “ Blessed is the man that hear- 

eth me, and that watcheth daily at my gates.”* 
Blessed, says Mary, is he who listens to my counsels, 
and incessantly watches at the door of my mercy, in- 
voking my help and intercession ! The holy Church 
instructs us her children with how great attention and 
confidence we should have continually recourse to this 
our loving protectress ; ordaining special devotions to 
her, that during the year many festivals should be 

0 

* Beatus homo, qui audit me, et vigilat ad fores meas quo- 
tidie ! Proverbs viii. 34. 


GLORIES OF MART. 


143 


celebrated in her honor ; that one day of the week 
should be especially consecrated to her ; that every 
day, in the divine office, all ecclesiastics and members 
of religious orders should invoke her in behalf of the 
whole Christian people, and that three times a day all 
the faithful, at the sound of the bell, should salute her. 
This will suffice to show how, in all seasons of public 
calamity, the holy Church always directs her children 
to have recourse to the divine mother with novenas, 
prayers, processions, visits to her churches and altars. 
This, Mary herself wishes us to do, namely, always to 
invoke and supplicate her, not to ask our homage and 
praise, which are too poor in comparison with her 
merit, but that our confidence and devotion to her 
thus increasing, she may aid and console us more. 
She seeks such as approach her devoutly and rever- 
ently, says St. Bonaventure ; these she cherishes, loves, 
and adopts as her children.* 

The same St. Bonaventure says, that Mary was 
prefigured by Ruth, whose name, being interpreted, 
signifies seeing , hastening ;\ for Mary, seeing our mis- 
eries, hastens to aid us by her compassion. J To which 
Novarino adds, that Mary is so desirous to do us good, 
that she can bear no delay ; and not being a miserly 

* Ipsa tales quasrit qui ad earn devote et reverenter accedant ; 
hos enim diligit, hos nutrit, hos in filios swscipit. P. 3, Stim. 
Div. Am. c. 16. 

f Videus et festinans. In Spec. 

\ Videns enim nostram miseriam, est et festinans ad impen- 
dendam suam misericordiam. 


144 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


keeper of lier favors, but the mother of mercy, she 
cannot restrain herself from dispensing, as soon as 
possible among her servants, the treasures of her 
liberality.* * * § 

Oh, how ready is this good mother to aid him who 
invokes her ! “ Thy two, breasts are like two young 

roes.”f Richard of St. Laurence, explaining this pas- 
sage, says that the breasts of Mary readily, like the 
roe’s, give the milk of mercy to those who ask 
it.J The same author assures us that the mercy of 
Mary is bestowed on all who ask it, though they 
offer no prayer but a “ Hail Mary.” Hence, Novarino 
affirms, that the blessed Virgin not only hastens, but 
flies to aid those who have recourse to her. She, says 
this author, in exercising mercy, cannot but resem- 
ble God ; for, as the Lord hastens to succor those who 
ask help from him, being very faithful to observe the 
promise which he has made to us — Ask, and you shall 
receive§— so Mary, when she is invoked, immediately 
hastens to help those who call upon her.|| And by 

* Nescit nectere moras benefaeiendi cupida, nee gratiarum 
avara custos est ; tardare nescit molimina misericordiaa mater 
beneficentiae suss tbesauros in suos effusura. Nov. Umbr. Yirg. 
c. 10, Exc. 75. 

t Duo ubera tua sicut duo hinnulli caprese. Cant. iv. 5. 

X Compressione levissima angelic® salutationis larga stil- 
labunt stillicidi®. 

§ Petite et accipietis. 

1 Alis utitur Deus ; ut suis opituletur, statim advolat ; alas 
sumit et Virgo, in nostri auxilium advolatura. Nov. c. 10, 
Excurs. 78. 


/ 


GLORIES OF MART. 


145 


•Qiis is explained who was the woman of the Apoca- 
lypse, with two wings of a great eagle, that she might 
fly into the desert.* * * § Ribeira explains these two wings 
to signify the love with which Mary always hastens to 
God.f But the blessed Amadeus says, remarking on 
this passage, that the wings of an eagle signify the 
velocity with which Mary, surpassing in swiftness 
the seraphs, always comes to the help of her 
children.]; 

We read in the Gospel of St. Luke, that when Mary 
went to visit St. Elisabeth, and bestow blessings on all 
her family, she was not slow, but travelled that whole 
journey with haste. § But we do not read that it was 
so on her return. For the same reason, it is said in 
the sacred Canticles, that the hands of Mary are 
turned. || For, as Richard of St. Laurence explains 
it. The art of turning is easier and quicker than other 
arts, so Mary is more ready than any other of the 
saints to aid her suppliants. 1 ^ She has the greatest 
desire to console all, and she scarcely hears herself in- 
voked before she graciously receives the petition and 


* Et datse sunt mulieri alae duse aquilse magnae ut volaret in' 
desertum. Apoc. xii. 14. 

t Pennas habet aquilae, quia amore Dei volat. 

% Motu celerrimo seraphin alas excedens, ubique suis ut 
mater occurrit. Horn. 8, de Laud. Virg. 

§ Exurgens Maria abiit in montana cum festinatione. Luc. 
ii. 1-39. 

| Manus illius tornatiles. Cant. v. 14. 

T[ Sicut ars tornandi promptior est aliis artibus, sic Maria ad 
benefaciendum promptior est aliis sanctis. De Laud.. Virg. 1 . 5 . 

13 


146 


GLORIES OF MART. 


comes to our aid.* * * § Justly, then, St. Bonaventure 
calls Mary, The salvation of those who invoke her : 
“ 0 salus te invocantium !” signifying, that to be saved 
it is sufficient to appeal to this divine mother, who, 
according to Richard of St. Laurence, is always ready 
to aid those who pray to her.f For, as St. Bemardine 
de Bustis says : This great Lady is more desirous to 
confer favors upon us than we are to receive them.J 

Neither should the multitude of our sins diminish 
our confidence that we shall be graciously heard by 
Mary, if we cast ourselves at her feet. She is the 
mother of mercy, and there would be no occasion for 
mercy, if there were no wretchedness to be relieved. 
Therefore, as a good mother does not hesitate to apply 
a remedy to her child, however loathsome its disease, 
although the cure may be troublesome and disgusting ; 
thus our good mother does not abandon us, when we 
recur to her, however great may be the filth of our 
sins, which she comes to cure.§ This sentiment is 
■taken from Richard of St. Laurence. And Mary 
intended to signify the same when she appeared to St. 
•Gertrude, spreading her mantle to receive all who had 

* Omnes consolatur, et tenuitcr invocata prsesto adest. Blosius 
‘in Cant. Vit. Spir. c. 18. 

+ Inveniens semper paratam auxiliari. 

% Plus vult ilia facere tibi bonum, quam tu accipere concupis- 
cas. Mar. 1, Serm. 5, de Nom. Mar. 

§ Non enim mater ha3c dedignatur peccatorem sicut nee bona 
mater filium scabiosum. Quia propter hoc factam se recolit 
misericordiae genitricem. Ubi enim non est miseria, miserieor- 
dia non habet locum. De Laud. Yirg. lib. 4. 


GLORIES OF MAET. 


147 


recourse to her : at the same time it was given the saint 
to understand, that the angels are waiting to defend the 
devout suppliants of Mary from the assaults of hell.* * * § 
So great is the love and pity which this good mother 
has for us, that she does not wait for our prayers be- 
fore giving us her aid. “ She preventeth them that 
covet her, so that she first showeth herself unto them.”f 
These words of wisdom St. Anselm applies to Mary, 
and says that she anticipates those who desire her 
protection. By this we are to understand, that she 
obtains many graces from God for us before we ask 
them from her. Therefore Richard of St. Victor 
says : Mary is called the moon : Pulchra ut luna ; J 
not only because she hastens as the moon to shine on 
those who seek her light, § but because she so ear- 
nestly desires our welfare that in our necessities she 
anticipates our prayers, and in her compassion she is 
more prompt to help us than we are to have recourse 
to her. || For, adds the same Richard, the breast of 
Mary is so full of pity that she scarcely knows our 
miseries before she offers us the milk of her mercy, 
neither can this gracious queen perceive the necessities 
of any soul without relieving it.^f 

* Eev. lib., 4, cap. 49. 

t Praeoccupat, qui se concupiscunt, ut illis se prius ostendat. 
C. vi.4. 

\ In Cant. c. 23. 

§ Velocitate praestat. 

I Velocius occurrit ejus pietas, quam invocetur, et causas mi- 
serorum anticipat. Loc. cit. 

Tf Adeo replentur ubera tua misericordia, ut alterius miseria) 


148 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


And truly, Mary manifested to us while she was on 
earth, in the nuptials of Cana,* her great compassion 
for our sufferings, which prompts her to relieve them 
before we pray to her. This kind mother saw the 
trouble of that pair who were mortified to find that 
their wine had failed at the wedding banquet ; and 
without being requested, moved only by her compas- 
sionate heart, which cannot look upon the afflictions 
of others without pity, prayed her Son to console 
them by merely mentioning to him the necessities of 
the family: They have no wine:f “Vinum non ha- 
bent.” After which, her Son, to comfort that family, 
and still more to satisfy the compassionate heart of his 
mother, performed, as she desired, the well-known mir- 
acle of changing the water contained in vases into 
wine. Novarino here remarks, that if Mary, though 
unasked, is so ready to aid us in our necessities, how 
much more so will she be when we invoke her and 
implore her aid !J 

If any one doubts that he shall be assisted by Maiy 
when he has recourse to her, let him listen to the 
words of Innocent III. : Who has ever invoked this 
sweet Lady, and has not been heard by her ?§ Who, 

notitia tacta, lac fundant misercordiae. Nee possis miserias scire, 
et non subvenire. In Cant. c. 23. 

* Luc. ii. 

t Joan. ii. 8. 

X Si tam prompta ad auxilium currit non quassita, quid quaesita 
praestitura est. C. 10, Ex. 27. 

§ Quis invocavit earn et non est auditus ab ipsa ? Serm. 2, de 
Ass. B. V. 


GLORIES OF MARY. 149 

oh holy Virgin, exclaims the blessed Eutychian, 
has ever sought thy powerful protection, which can 
relieve the most miserable and rescue the most de- 
graded, and has been abandoned by thee ? No, this 
has never happened, and never will happen.* Let 
him be silent concerning thy mercy, oh blessed Vir- 
gin, whose necessities have been neglected by thee 
after he has implored thy aid.f 

Sooner will heaven and earth be destroyed, says 
the devout Blosius, than Mary fail to aid those who, 
with a pure intention, recommend themselves to her 
and put their confidence in her.J And to increase our 
confidence, St. Anselm adds, that when we have re- 
course to this divine mother, we may not only be sure 
of her protection, but that sometimes we shall be 
sooner heard and saved by invoking her holy name 
than that of Jesus our Saviour. § And he gives 
this reason : Because it belongs to Christ, as our 
judge, to punish, but to Mary, as our advocate,, 
to pity. || By this he would give us to under- 
stand, that we sooner find salvation by recurring to 

* Quis unquam, 0 Beata, fideliter omnipotentem tuam roga- 
vit opem, et fuit derelictus ? Revera nullus unquam. In vita 
S. Theopli. 

t Sileatmisericordiam tuam, Virgo beata, qui in necessitatibus 
te invocatam meminerit defuisse. Serm. 1, de Ass. 

X Citius coelum cum terra perierint, quam Maria aliquem serio 
se implorantem sua ope destituat. In Spec. c. 12. 

§ Velocior nonnunquam est nostra sains, invocato nomine 
Marne, quam invocato nomine Jesu. De Exc. V. c. 6. 

| Quia ad Christum, tanquam judicem, pertinet etiam pu- 
nire ; ad Virginem tanquam patronam nonnisi misereri. Loc. cit. 

13* 


150 


GLORIES OF MARY. 

the mother than the Son ; not because Mary is more 
powerful than her Son to save us, for we know that 
Jesus is our only Saviour, and that by his merits alone 
he has obtained and does obtain for us salvation ; but be- 
cause when we have recourse to Jesus, considering him 
also as the judge to whom it belongs to punish the un- 
grateful, we may lose the confidence necessary to be 
heard ; but going to Mary, who has no other office 
than that of exercising compassion towards us as 
mother of mercy, and defending us as our advocate, 
our confidence will be more secure and greater. 
We ask many things of God and do not obtain them ; 
we ask them from Mary and obtain them ; how is 
this ? Nicephoros answers : This does not happen be- 
cause Mary is more powerful than God, but because 
God has seen fit thus to honor his mother.* 

How consoling is the promise that our Lord himself 
made on this subject to St. Bridget ! We read in her 
revelations, that one day this saint heard Jesus speak- 
ing with his mother, and that he said to her : “ My 
mother, ask of me whatever thou wilt, for I will re- 
fuse nothing that thou dost ask ;f and be assured,” he 
added, “ that all those who for love of thee seek any 
favor, although they are sinners, if they desire to 
amend, I promise to hear them.”j; The same thing 

* Multa petuntur a Deo, et non obtinentur ; multa petuntur a 
Maria et obtinentur ; non quia potentior sed quia Deus earn de- 
crevit sic honorare. Ap. P. Pep. Grandez, etc. 
f Nulla erit petitio tua in me, quse non audiatur. Lib. 1, 80. 

% Et per te omnes, qui per te petunt misericordiam, cum vo- 
luntate se emendandi, gratiam habebunt. Loc. cit. 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


151 


was revealed to St. Gertrude, who heard our Re- 
deemer himself say to Mary, that he had in his 
omnipotence permitted her to exercise mercy towards 
sinners who invoke her, in whatever manner it should 
please her.* 

Every one invoking this mother of mercy may then 
say, with St. Augustine : “ Remember, oh most com- 
passionate Lady ! that since the beginning of the 
world there never has been any one abandoned by 
thee. Therefore pardon me if I say that I do not 
wish to be the first sinner who has sought thy aid 
in vain.”j- 

EXAMPLE. 

St. Francis of Sales, as we read in his life, efficaciously 
experienced the power of this prayer. At seventeen 
years of age he was living in Paris, engaged in study, 
and at the same time wholly devoted to pious exercises 
and holy love of God, which gave him a perpetual fore- 
taste of heavenly joy. At this time the Lord, to try his 
faith, and attach him more strongly to his love, permitted 
the devil to represent to him that his efforts were in 
vain, because he was already condemned by the divine 
decree. The darkness and dryness in which it pleased 
God to leave him at the time for he was insensible to 


* Ex omnipotentia mea, Mater, tibi concessi propitiationem 
omnium peccatorum, qui devote invocant tuse pietatis auxilium, 
qualicumque modo placeat tibi. Ap. Pep. loc. cit. 

t Memorare piissima Maria, a saculo non esse auditum, quern- 
quam ad tua prsesidia confugientem esse dereli'tum. 


152 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


all consoling thoughts of the divine goodness, caused 
this temptation to have more power over the heart of 
the holy youth ; so that through great fear and desola- 
tion he lost his appetite, sleep, color, and cheerfulness, 
and excited the compassion of all those who looked 
upon him. 

Whilst this horrible conflict lasted, the saint could 
conceive no other thoughts and utter no other words 
but those of sorrow and distrust. “Shall I, then,” 
he said, as it is related in his life, “ be deprived of the 
favor of my God, who hitherto has shown himself so 
gracious and so kind to me ? Oh love ! oh beauty ! 
to which I have consecrated all my affections, shall 
I never more enjoy your consolations? Oh Virgin 
mother of God, the most beautiful of all the daugh- 
ters of Jerusalem, am I then never to see thee in 
paradise ? Ah, my Lady ! if I am never to see thy 
lovely face, do not permit me to be forced to blas- 
pheme and curse thee in hell.” These were the ten- 
der sentiments of that afflicted heart, still so enamored 
of God and the Virgin. This temptation lasted for a 
month, but at length the Lord was pleased to deliver 
him from it by means of the consoler of the world, 
most holy Mary, to whom the saint had before made 
a vow of chastity, and upon whom he used to say 
he had placed all his hopes. One evening, on return- 
ing home, he entered a church, where he saw a small 
tablet suspended from the wall ; he found written on 
it the prayer of St. Augustine above mentioned : “ Re- 
member, oh most merciful Mary ! that no one, in any 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


153 


age, was ever known to have fled to thee for help and 
found himself abandoned.” He prostrated himself 
before the altar of the divine mother, and recited with 
deep feeling this prayer ; he renewed his vow of chas- 
tity, promised to recite daily the rosary, and then 
added : “ Oh my queen, be my advocate with thy 
Son, whom I dare not approach. My mother, if in 
the other world I should be so unhappy as not to be 
able to love my Lord* whom I know is so worthy 
to be loved, at least obtain for me that I may love 
him as much as I can in tUs world. This is the grace 
that I ask of thee, and from thee I hope for it.” 
Thus he supplicated the Virgin,' ‘.and then abandoned 
himself to the divine mercy, resigning himself entirely 
to the will of God. But hardly had he finished his 
prayer, when by his most sweet mother he was sud- 
denly freed from temptation ; he immediately recovered 
his interior peace, and with it health of body, and 
from that time continued to live a most devout servant 
of Mary, whose praises and mercies he never ceased 
to proclaim in his preaching and his writings to the 
end of his life. 

PRAYER. 

Oh mother of God ! oh queen of angels ! oh hope 
of men ! listen to him who invokes thee and has re- 
course to thee. Behold me to-day prostrate at thy 
feet; I, a miserable slave of hell, consecrate myself 
to thee as thy servant forever, offering myself to serve 
and honor thee to the utmost of my power all the 


154 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


days of my life. I know that thy honor is not in- 
creased by the service of so vile and wretched a slave 
as I am, who have so grievously offended thy Son and 
my Redeemer, Jesus. But if thou wilt accept one so 
unworthy as I for thy servant, and, changing him by 
thy intercession, wilt render him worthy, thy own com- 
passion will confer upon thee that honor which I, vile 
as I am, cannot render thee. Accept me, then, and 
do not reject me, oh my motif er! The eternal Word 
came from heaven upon earth to seek the lost sheep, 
and to save them, becamdfcthy Son. And wilt thou 
despise a poor sheep, who comes to thee to help him 
find Jesus? The price has already been paid for my 
salvation; my Saviour has shed his blood, which is 
enough to save infinite worlds. It only remains that 
this blood should be applied to me ; and to thee it 
belongs, oh blessed Virgin ! to thee it belongs, as St. 
Bernard says, to bestow the merits of this blood on 
whomsoever it may please thee. To thee it belongs, 
as St. Bonaventure also says, to save whom thou wilt.* 
Oh my queen, help me, then ! my queen, save me ! 
To you this day I commit my soul ; and do thou secure 
its safety. Oh, salvation of those who invoke thee! 
I will exclaim with the same saint, save me.f 

* Quem ipsa vis salvus erit. 

f 0 salus te invocantium. 


GLORIES OF MART. 


155 


SECTION II. 

HOW POWERFUL IS MARY IN PROTECTING THOSE WHO INVOKE HER IN 
TEMPTATIONS OF THE DEVIL. 

Not only most holy Mary is queen of heaven and 
of the saints, but also of hell and the devils, for she 
has bravely triumphed over them by her virtues. 
From the beginning of the world God predicted to 
the infernal serpent the victory and the empire which 
our queen would obtain over him, when he announced 
to him that a woman would come into the world who 
should conquer him. “ I will put enmities between 
thee and the woman; she shall crush thy head.”* 
And what woman was this enemy if not Mary, who, 
with her beautiful humility and holy life, always con- 
quered him and destroyed his forces? St. Cyprian 
affirms that the mother of our Lord Jesus Christ was 
promised in that woman :f and hence he remarks, that 
God did not use the words I put, but I will put, lest 
the prophecy should seem to appertain to Eve.| He 
said, I will put enmity between thee and the woman, 
to signify that this his vanquisher was not the living 
Eve; but must be another woman descending from her, 
who was to bring to our first parents greater blessings, 
as St. Vincent Ferrer says, than those they had lost by 


* Inimicitias ponam inter te et mulierem ; ipsa conteret caput 
tuum. Gen. iii. 15. 

t Mater Domini Jesu Christi in ilia muliere promissa est. 

X Non pono, sed ponam ne ad Evam pertinere videatur. 


156 


GLOEIES OF MARY. 


tlieir sin.* * * § Mary, then, is this great and strong 
woman who has conquered the devil, and has crushed 
his head by subduing his pride, as the Lord added : 
“ She shall crush thy head.”f Some of the commenta- 
tors doubt whether these words refer to Mary or to 
Jesus Christ, because in the Septuagint version we 
read: “ He shall crush thy head.”J But in our Vul- 
gate, which is the only version approved by the Coun- 
cil of Trent, it is She, and not He. And thus St. 
Ambrose, St. Jerome, St. Augustine, St. John Chry- 
sostom, and many others have understood it. How- 
ever this may be, it is certain that the Son by means 
of the mother, or the mother by means of the Son, 
has vanquished Lucifer ; so that this proud spirit, as 
St. Bernard tells us, has been ignominiously over- 
powered and crushed by this blessed Virgin.§ Hence as 
a slave conquered in war, he is forced always to obey 
the commands of this queen. St. Bruno says, that 
Eve, by yielding to the serpent, brought into the world 
death and darkness ; but that the blessed Virgin, by 
conquering the devil, brought us life and light : and 
she has bound him so that he cannot move to do the 
least harm to her servants. || 

* Parentibus primis Virginem ab ipsis processuram ; quae 
afferret raajus bonum quam ipsi perdiderunt. Sorm. 2, de Nat. 
Virg. 

t Ipsa conteret caput tuum. 

% Ipse conteret caput tuum. 

§ Sub Mariae pedibus conculcatus et contritus miseram patitur 
servitutem. Serm. in Sign. Magn. 

I In Eva mors, et caligo ; in Maria vita consistit, ct lux. Ilia 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


157 


Richard of St. Laurence gives a beautiful explana- 
tion to these words of Proverbs : “ The heart of her 
husband trusteth in her, and he shall have no need of 
spoils. ”* Richard says : The heart of her husband, 
that is, Christ, trusts in her, and he shall have no jieed 
of spoils, for she will endow him with the spoils which 
she has taken from the devil.f God has intrusted 
the heart of Jesus, as a Lapide expresses it, to the care 
of Mary, that she may procure for it the love of men ; 
and thus he will not be in need of spoils, that is, of 
the conquest of souls, for she will enrich him with 
those souls of which she despoils hell, and which she 
has rescued from the demons by her powerful aid. 

It is well known that the palm is the emblem of 
victory, and for this reason our queen has been placed 
on a high throne in the sight of all potentates, as 
a palm, the sign of certain victory, which all can 
promise themselves who have recourse to her. “I 
was exalted like a palm-tree in Cades.”! That is, for 
a defence, § as blessed Albertus Magnus says : Oh, 
my children, Mary seems to say to us with these 
words, when the enemy assails you, lift your eyes 

a diabolo victa est; haec diabolum vicit et ligavit. Ap. Scala 
Franc, p. 4, c. 10. 

* Confidit in ea cor viri sui, ct spoliis non indigebit. Prov. 
xxxi. 11. 

+ Confidit in ea cor viri sui, scilicet Christi. Et spoliis non 
indigebit; ipsa enim quasi ditat sponsum suum, quibus spoliat 
diabolum. 

X Quasi palma exaltata sum in Cades. Eccli. xxiv. 18. 

§ Scilicet ad defcndendum. 


14 


158 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


to me, behold me and take courage ; for in me, whc 
defends you, you will behold, at the same time, your 
victory. So that recourse to Mary is the most cer- > 
tain means of overcoming all the assaults of hell ; for 
she, as St. Bernardine of Sienna says, is queen over 
hell, and ruler of the spirits of evil, for she controls 
and conquers them.* * * § And therefore Maiy is called 
terrible against the power of hell, as an army set in 
array. “ Terrible as an army set in array. Set in 
array, because she knows how to array her powers, 
that is, her compassion and her prayers, to the confu- 
sion of the enemy and the benefit of her servants, who, 
in their temptations, invoke her powerful aid. 

“As the vine I have brought forth a pleasant 
odor.”]; “ I, like the vine, as the Holy Spirit puts it 
in her mouth to say, have given fruits of sweet odor.” 

“ It is said,” adds St. Bernard, on this passage, “ that 
every venomous reptile shuns the flowering vines. ”§ 
As from vines all poisonous serpents flee, thus the 
demons flee from those fortunate souls in whom they 
perceive the odor of devotion to Mary. On this ac- 
count she also is called a cedar : “ I was exalted like 
a cedar in Libanus,”|| not only because as the cedar is 

* Beata Virgo dominatur in regno inferni. Dicitur igitur do- 
mina daemonum, quasi domans dsemones. Serm. 3, de Glor. 
Nom. Mar. 

t Terribilis lit castrorum aeies ordinata. Cant. vi. 3. 

\ Ego quasi vitis fructificavi suavitatem odoris. Eccli. xxiv. 23. 

§ Aiunt de florescentibus vitibus cmne reptile venantium 
excedere loco. Serm. 60, in Cant. 

li Quasi eedrus exaltata sum in Libano. Eccli. xxiv. 17. 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


159 


free from corruption, so Mary is free from sin, but 
also because, as Cardinal Hugo remarks upon this pas- 
sage, as the cedar with its perfume puts serpents to 
flight, so Mary with her sanctity puts to flight the 
devils.* * * § 

Victories were gained in Judea by means of the ark. 
Thus Moses conquered his enemies. “ When the ark 
was lifted up, Moses said, Arise, oh Lord, and let 
thy enemies be scattered.”! Thus Jericho was con- 
quered ; thus were the Philistines conquered ; “ for 
the ark of God was there.” J It is well known that 
this ark was the type of Mary. As the ark contained 
the manna, thus Mary contained Jesus, whom the 
manna also prefigured, and by means of this ark, vic- 
tories were gained over the enemies of earth and over 
hell.§ Wherefore St. Bernardine of Sienna says that 
when Mary, the ark of the New Testament, was 
crowned queen of heaven, the power of hell over men 
was weakened and overthrown. || 

“ Oh, how the devils in hell,” says St. Bonaventure, 
“ tremble at Mary and her great name !”®[ The saint 
compares these enemies to those of whom Job makes 

* Cedrus odore suo fugat serpentcs, et beata Virgo daemones. 

t Cum elevaretur area, dicebat Moyses ; Surge Domino, et 
dissipentur inimici tui. Num. x. 83. 

X Erat enim ibi area Dei. 1, Reg. xiv. 18. 

§ Area continens manna, idest Christum, est B. Virgo, quae 
victoriam contra homines et daemones largitur. Cornel, a Lap. 

|| Q.nando elevata fuit Virgo gloriosa a celestia regna, dsemonis 
potentia imminuta est et dissipata. Tom. 3, do B. V. Serm. 11. 

O quam tremenda est Maria daemonibus. Spec. Virg. c. 8. 


160 GLORIES OF MARY. 

mention and says : “ He diggeth through houses in 
the dark .... If the morning suddenly appear, it is 
to them the shadow of death. ”* Thieves enter houses 
in the dark to rob them, but when the dawn comes 
they flee, as if the image of death appeared to them. 
In the same manner, as St. Bonaventure expresses it, 
the demons enter into the soul in times cf darkness, 
that is, when the soul is obscured by ignorance ; they 
dig through the houses of our minds in the darkness 
of ignorance ; but then, he adds, as soon as the grace 
and the mercy of Mary enter the soul, this beautiful 
aurora dissipates the darkness, and the infernal ene- 
mies flee as at the approach of death.f Oh, blessed is 
he who always, in his conflicts with hell, invokes the 
beautiful name of Mary ! 

In confirmation of this it was revealed to St. Bridget 
that God has given Mary such power over all evil 
spirits, that whenever they assail any of her servants 
who implore her aid, at the slightest sign from her 
tliey flee far away in terror, preferring that their pains 
should be redoubled rather than that Mary should 
domineer over them in this manner. J 


* I crfoclit in tenebris domos .... Si subito apparuerit au- 
rora ; arbitrantur umbrara mortis. Job xxiv. 16, 17. 

+ Perfodiunt in tenebris ignorantiae domos mentium nostra- 
rum. Si subito supervenerit aurora, idest Marias gratia, et mis- 
ericordia, sic fugiunt, sicut omnes fugiunt mortem. In Spec. 
Virg. 

% Super omnes etiam malignos spiritus ipsam sic potentem 
effecit, quod quotiescumque ipsi liominem Virginis auxilium 
implorantem impugnaverint, ad ipsius Virginis nutum illico pa- 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


161 


A Lapide remarks upon the words with which the 
divine spouse praises his beloved bride, when he calls 
her the lily, and says that as the lily is among thorns, 
so is his beloved among the other daughters ;* that, as 
the lily is a remedy against serpents and poisons, so the 
invocation of Mary is a special remedy for overcoming 
all temptations, particularly those of impurity, as they 
who have tried it have universally experienced.! 

St. John of Damascus said, and every one may say 
the same who is so happy as to be devoted to this 
great queen : Oh, mother of God, if I trust in thee, 
I shall surely not be vanquished ; for, defended by 
thee, I will pursue my enemies, and opposing to them 
thy protection and thy powerful support as a shield, 
I shall surely conquer them.J James the Monk, re* 
puted a doctor among the Greek fathers, discoursing 
of Mary to our Lord, says : Thou, oh my Lord, hast 
given us this mother for a powerful defence against 
all our enemies.§ 

vidi procul diffugiunt ; volentes potius suas poenas multiplicari, 
quam ejusdem Yirginis potentiam super se taliter dominari. 
Serin. Ang. c. 20. 

* Sicut Mum inter spinas, sic arnica mea inter filias. Cant, 
ii. 2. 

f Sicut lilium valet inter serpentes et venena, sic beat® Virgi- 
nis invocatio singulare est remedium in omni tentatione, p rai- 
ser tim libidinis, ut experientia constat. 

X Insuperabilem spem tuam habens, 0 Deipara, servabor, 
Persequar inimicos meos, solam habens ut thoracem protectio- 
nem tuam, et omnipotens auxilium tuum. In Annunc. Dei Gen. 

§ Tu arma omni vi belli potentiora, trophasumque invictum 
praestitisti. 


14* 


a 


162 GLORIES OF MART. 

It is related in the Old Testament that the Lord 
guided his people from Egypt to the promised land, 
by day in a pillar of cloud, by night in a pillar of 
fire.* * * § This pillar, now of clouds, now of fire, says 
Richard of St. Laurence, was a type of Mary and her 
double office, which she exercises continually in our 
behalf ; as a cloud she protects us from the heat of 
divine justice, and as fire she protects us from de- 
mons.f Fire, as St. Bonaventure adds, for as wax 
melts at the approach of fire, thus the evil spirits lose 
all power in the presence of those souls wffio often 
call upon the name of Mary, and devoutly invoke her, 
and more than all, strive to imitate her.]; 

Oh, how the devils tremble, exclaims St. Bernard, 
if they only hear the name of Mary uttered !§ As 
men, says Thomas a Kempis, fall to the earth through 
fear, when a thunderbolt strikes near them, so fall 
prostrate the devils when but the name of Mary is 
heard. || How many noble victories have the servants 

* Per diem in columna nubis, et per noctem in columna 
ignis. Exod. xiii. 21. 

f Ecce duo officia, ad quae data est nobis Maria, scilicet, ut nos 
protegat a calore solis justitiae, tamquam nubes, et tamquam 
ignis; ut omnes nos protegat contra diabolum. Lib. 7, de 
Laud. Virg. 

X Fluunt sicut cera a facie ignis, ubi inveniunt crebram hujus 
nominis recordationem, devotam invocationem, solicitam imita- 
tionem. In Spec. 

§ In nomine Mariae omne genuflectitur, et daemones non so- 
lum pertimescunt, sed, audita hac voce, contremiscunt. Serm. 
sup. Miss. 

|| Expavescunt cceli reginam spiritus maligni et diffugiunt, 


9 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


163 


of Mary not gained over these enemies by the power 
of her most holy name ! Thus St. Anthony of Padua 
conquered them, thus the blessed Henry Suso, thus 
many other lovers of Mary. It is related in the ac- 
counts of the missions to Japan, that a great number 
of demons appeared in the form of ferocious animals 
to a certain Christian of that country, to alarm him 
and threaten him, but he spoke to them in these 
words: “I have no arms with which to terrify you ; if 
the Most High permits it, do with me according to 
your pleasure. Meanwhile I use as my defence the 
most sweet names of Jesus and Mary.” Hardly had 
he uttered these words, when behold, at the sound of 
those fearful names, the earth opened and those proud 
spirits were swallowed up. St. Anselm also asserts 
that he had seen and heard many persons who at the 
mention of the name of Mary were delivered from 
their dangers.* 

Very glorious, oh Mary, and wonderful exclaims St. 
Bonaventure, is thy great name. Those who are 
mindful to utter it at the hour of death, have nothing 
to fear from hell, for the devils at once abandon the 
soul when they hear the name of Mary.f And the 

audito nomine ejus, velut ab igne, tamquam tonitru de coelo 
factum sit, prosternuntur ad sanctse Mari* vocabulum. L. 4, 
ad Nov. 

* Sa?pe vidimus et audivimus plurimos homines in suis peri- 
culis nominis recordari Mari*, et illico omnis periculi malum 
evasisse. S. Ans. de Exc. Virg. c. 6. 

+ Gloriosum et admirabile est nomen tuum 0 Maria ; qui illud 
retinent non expavescunt in puncto mortis ; nam daemones au- 


164 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


saint adds, that an earthly enemy does not so greatly 
fear a great army, as the powers of hell fear the name 
and protection of Mary.* Thou, oh Lady, says St. 
Germanus, by the invocation alone of thy most pow- 
erful name, dost render thy servants secure from all 
the assaults of the enemy, f Oh, if Christians were 
only mindful in temptations to invoke with confidence 
the name of Mary, it is certain that they would never 
fall; for, as blessed Alanus remarks, at the thunder 
of that great name, the devil flees and hell trembles.^ 
This heavenly queen herself revealed to St. Bridget, 
that even from the most abandoned sinners, who had 
wandered the farthest from God, and were most fully 
possessed by the devil, the enemy departs as soon as 
he hears her most powerful name invoked by them, if 
they do it with a true intention of amending.§ But 
the Virgin added, that if the soul does not amend, 
and with contrition quit its sins, the demons im- 
mediately return to it and hold it in their posses- 
sion.! 

dientes hoc nomen Mariae statim relinquunt animam. In Psalt. 
B. V. 

* Non sic timent hostes visibiles castrorum multitudinem 
copiosam, sicut serese potestates Marice vocabulum, et patro- 
cinium. Loc. cit. 

t Tu servos tuos contra hostis invasion es, sola tui nominis in- 
vocatione tutos servas. Serin, de Zona. Virg. 

X Satan fugit, infernus contremiscit, cum dico Ave Maria. 

§ Omnes dsemones audientes hoc nomen, Maria, statim relin- 
quunt animam quasi territi. L. 1, Rev. c. 9. 

| Et revertuntur ad earn, nisi aliqua emendatio subsequatur. 
Lib. 1, Rev. c. 9. 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


165 


EX AMP LE. 

In Reisberg there lived a Canon regular named 
Arnold, who was very devoted to the blessed Vir- 
gin. Being at the point of death, he received the 
sacraments, and calling his religious to him, begged 
them not to leave him at the last moment. Scarcely 
had he said this, when he began to tremble violently 
and roll his eyes ; cold sweat fell from him, and with 
an agitated voice he exclaimed: “Do you not see 
those demons who would seize me and carry me to 
hell ?” Then he cried : “ My brothers, invoke for me 
the help of Mary ; I trust in her that she will give 
me the victory.” They immediately began to recite 
the Litany of our Lady, and at the words, Holy Mary, 
pray for him, “ Sancta Maria, ora pro eo,” the dying man 
cried : “ Repeat, repeat the name of Mary, for I am 
even now at the tribunal of God.” He stopped for a 
moment, and then added : “ It is true that I did it, but I 
have done penance for it.” Then turning to the Vir- 
gin, he said : “ Oh Mary, I shall be delivered if thou 
wilt help me.” The demons soon after made another 
attack, but he defended himself by blessing^ himself 
with the crucifix, and invoking Mary. Thus he passed 
the whole night, but when morning dawned, Arnold, 
restored to serenity, joyfully said : “ Mary, my Lady 
and my refuge, has obtained for me pardon and sal- 
vation.” Then beholding the Virgin, who summoned 
him to follow her, he said : “ I come, oh Lady, I come.” 
He made an effort to rise, but not being able to follow 


166 GLORIES OF MARY. 

her with the body, gently expiring, he followed her 
with his soul, as we hope, to the blessed kingdom of 
glory* 

PRAYER. 

Behold at thy feet, oh Mary my hope, a poor sin- 
ner who many times, through his own fault, has 
been the slave of hell. I know that I have often been 
conquered by the devil, because I have neglected to 
recur to thee, oh my refuge. If I had always sought 
thy protection, if I had invoked thee, I should never 
have fallen. I hope, oh my Lady, most worthy of 
love, that by thy help I have escaped the powers of 
hell, and that God has pardoned me. But I tremble 
for the future, lest I again fall into their power. I 
know that these enemies of mine have not lost all 
hope of reconquering me, and at this moment they 
are preparing new assaults and temptations. Oh, my 
queen and refuge, aid me. Shelter me beneath thy 
mantle, let me not become again their slave. I know 
that thou wilt succor me and give me victory when- 
ever I invoke thee. I fear only that in my tempta- 
tions I may forget thee, and neglect to call upon thee. 
This, then, is the grace, oil most holy Virgin, that I 
seek and wish from thee, that I may always remember 
thee, and especially when I find myself in conflict 
with the enemy ; let me not then fail to invoke thee 
often with the words : “ Oh Mary, help me, help me, 
oh Mary.” And when at length the day of my last 


* Father Auriemma, Affetti Scambicv. Tom. i. c. 7. 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


167 


conflict with hell, the day of my death arrives, oh, my 
queen, powerfully assist me then, and remind me thy- 
self to invoke thee more frequently, with the voice or 
with the heart, that expiring with thy most sweet 
name, and that of thy son Jesus on my lips, I may go 
to bless and praise thee, and never leave thy feet in 
paradise through all eternity. Amen. 


168 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


CHAPTER V. 

AD TE SUSPIRAMUS GEMENTES ET FLENTES IN HAC 
LACRYMARUM YALLE. 

To thee we send up our sighs, groaning and weeping in this valley of 

tears. 


SECTION I. 

THE NEED WE HAVE OF THE INTERCESSION OF MART FOR OUR 
SALVATION. 

To invoke and pray to the saints, especially to the 
queen of saints, most holy Mary, that they may ob- 
tain for us, by their intercession, the divine favor, is 
not only a lawful but a useful and holy practice, and 
this is of faith, being established by the Councils, 
against heretics, who condemn it as injurious to Jesus 
Christ, who is our only mediator ; but if a Jeremias, 
after his death, prays for Jerusalem* ; if the elders of 
the Apocalypse present to God the prayers of the 
saints ; if a St. Peter promises his disciples to remem- 
ber them after his death ; if a St. Stephen prays for 
his persecutors ; if a St. Paul prays for his compan- 
ions ; if, in a word, the saints pray for us, why may 


* Mach. xv. 14. 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


169 


we not implore the saints to intercede for us ? St. 
Paul commends himself to the prayers of his disciples : 
Pray for us : “ Orate pro nobis.”* St. James exhorts 
the Christians to pray for each other : “ Pray for one 
another> that ye may bh saved.”f We may then do 
likewise. 

No one will deny that Jesus Christ is the only medi- 
ator of justice, and that by his merits he has obtained 
for us reconciliation with God. But, on the other 
hand, it is impious to deny that God is pleased to 
grant favors at the intercession of the saints, and espe- 
cially of Mary his mother, whom Jesus desires so 
much to see loved and honored by us. Every one 
knows that honor paid to a mother redounds to her 
children. J Hence St. Bernard says, let not any one 
think that by greatly praising the mother he will throw 
into the shade the glories of the Son ; for the more he 
honors the mother, so much more he honors the Son.§ 
St. Ildephonsus says, that all the honor which is paid 
to the mother and the queen, is rendered to the Son 
and king. || And there is no doubt that on account 
of the merits of Jesus, the great privilege has been 
granted to Mary to be the mediatrix of our salvation ; 
not, indeed, mediatrix of justice, but of grace and 

* Thess. 1, c. v. 25. 

t Orate pro invicem ut salvemini. C. v. 16. 

% Gloria filiorum Patres eorum. Prov. xvii. 6. 

§ Non est dubium, quicquid in laudibus matris proferimus, 
ad filium pertinere. Horn. 4, Sup. Miss. 

| Refunditur in filium quod impenditur matri, transfunditur 
honor in regem, qui defertur in famulatum reginae. 

15 


170 GLORIES OF MARY. 

intercession, as she is called by St. Bonaventure.* 
St. Lawrence Justinian also says : Can she be other- 
wise than full of grace, who has been made the lad- 
der of paradise, the gate of heaven, the most true 
mediatrix between God and man?f 

Wherefore St. Anselm well remarks, that when we 
implore the holy Virgin to obtain graces for us, it is 
not that we distrust the divine mercy, but rather that 
we distrust our own unworthiness, and commend our- 
selves to Mary that her merits may compensate for 
our unworthiness. £ 

It cannot be doubted, therefore, except by those 
who are deficient in faith, that it is a useful and holy 
thing to have recourse to the intercession of Mary. 
But the point that we here propose to prove is, that the 
intercession of Mary is even necessary for our salvation ; 
necessary, to speak properly, not indeed absolutely, 
but morally. And we affirm that this necessity arises 
from the will of God itself, who has ordained that all 
the favors which he dispenses should pass through the 
hands of Mary, according to the opinion of St. Ber- 
nard, which may well be considered at the present 
day the common opinion of doctors and divines, 
as the author of “The kingdom of Mary” has 

* Maria fidelissima mediatrix nostrse salutis. 

t Quomodo non est plena gratia, quae effecta estparadisi seala, 
cceli janua, Dei atque hominum verissima mediatrix? Serm. 
de Annunc. 

X Ut dignitas intercessoris suppleat inopiam nostram. Unde 
Virginem interpellare, non est de divina misericordia difiidere, 
sed de propria indignitate formidare. De Exc. V. c. 6. 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


171 


already called it. It is embraced by Vega, Mendoza, 
Paciucchelli, Segneri, Poire, Crasset, and innumerable 
other learned authors. Even Father Noel Alexander, 
an author usually very reserved in his assertions, de- 
clares it to be the will of God that we receive all 
favors through the intercession of Mary.* In confir- 
mation of this, he quotes the celebrated passage of St. 
Bernard : This is the will of him who would have us 
receive all things through Mary.f The same opinion 
is held by Father Contensone, who, explaining the 
words of Jesus Christ on the cross to John, Be- 
hold thy mother, “Ecce mater tua,” says: It 
is as if he said, no one shall partake of my blood ex- 
cept by the intercession of my mother. My wounds 
are fountains of grace, but to none can their streams 
be conveyed except by the channel of Mary. Oh 
John, my disciple, even as thou lovest my mother, so 
shalt thou Jbe loved by me.J 

The statement that whatsoever we receive from the 
Lord comes to us by means of Mary, does not find 
favor with a certain modern author, who, although he 

* Qui vult lit omnia bona ab ipso expectemus, potentissima 
Virginis matris intercessione impetranda, cum earn, ut par est, 
invocamus. Epist. 76, in calce tom. 4, Moral. 

f Sic est voluntas ejus, qui totum nos habere voluit per Ma- 
riam. 

\ Quasi diceret, Nullus sanguinis mei particeps erit, nisi in- 
tercessione matris mese. Vulnera gratiarum fontes sunt, sed ad 
nullos derivabuntur rivi, nisi per Mariee canalem. J oannes dis- 
cipule, tantum a me amaberis, quantum earn amaveris. Theol. 
mentis, et cord. tom. 2, 1. 10, D. 4, c. 1. 


172 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


treats with much piety and learning of true and false 
devotion, yet speaking of the devotion towards the di- 
vine mother, has shown himself very sparing in grant- 
ing her the glory that a St. Germanus, a St. Anselm, 
a St. John of Damascus, a St. Bonaventure, a St. 
Antoninus, a St. Bernardine of Sienna, the venerable 
Abbot of Celles, and so many other doctors, have not 
hesitated to attribute to her, who have not scrupled 
to declare that for the above-mentioned reason the 
intercession of Mary is not only useful, but necessary. 
The above-named author says that this proposition, 
namely, that God grants no favors except through 
Mary, is an hyperbole and an exaggeration which has 
escaped from the mouth of some saints in a moment 
of fervor, and properly speaking, is to be understood 
only in the sense that through Mary we have received 
Jesus Christ, by whose merits we receive all graces. 
Otherwise, he continues, it would be an error to be- 
lieve that God could not grant graces without the in- 
tercession of Mary, since the apostle says : “ There is 
one God and one Mediator of God and men, the 
man Christ Jesus.”* So far the above-named author. 

But with his leave I will suggest to him what he 
himself in his book teaches me, that the mediation of 
justice by means of merit, and the mediation of grace 
by means of prayer, are very different things. Thus 
it is also one thing to say that God cannot, another to 
say he will not grant favors without the intercession 
of Mary. We willingly acknowledge that God is the 
* 1 Tim. ii. 5. 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


173 


fountain of every good, and absolute Lord of all 
graces, and that Mary is only a pure creature who, 
through grace, receives whatever she obtains from 
God. But who can deny it to be reasonable and 
proper to assert that God) in order to exalt this noble 
creature, who, more than all other creatures, has loved 
and honored him in her life, having chosen her for the 
mother of his Son the Redeemer of the world, has 
also seen fit to dispense through her hands all the 
graces which are to be granted to redeemed souls ? 
We acknowledge that Jesus Christ is the only media- 
tor of justice, as we have stated above, who by his 
merits obtains for us grace and salvation ; but we af- 
firm that Mary is the mediatrix of grace, and although 
whatever she obtains, she obtains through the merits 
of Jesus Christ, and because she prays and asks for it 
in the name of Jesus Christ, yet whatever favors we 
aslj are all obtained through her intercession. 

In this there is certainly nothing opposed to the 
sacred doctrines ; on the contrary, it is entirely con- 
formed to the sentiments of the Church, who, in the 
public prayers, by her approved, teaches us to appeal 
constantly to this divine mother, and invoke her as the 
Health of the weak : “ Salus infirmorum.” The 

Refuge of sinners : “ Refugium peccatorum.” The 

Help of Christians : “ Auxilium christianorum.” Our 
life and our hope : “ Vita et spes nostra.” The same 
holy Church, in the office which she requires to be re- 
cited on the Festivals of Mary, applying to her the 
words of Wisdom, gives us to understand that in Mary 
15 * 


174 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


we shall find every hope : “ In me is all hope of life 
and virtue.”* * * § That in Mary we shall find every 
grace : “ In me is all grace of the way and of the 
truth.”f In a word, that we shall find in Mary life 
and eternal salvation : “He that shall find me shall 
find life, and shall have salvation from the Lord.”]; 
And again : “ They that work by me shall not sin. 
They that explain me shall have life everlasting. ”§ 
All which passages signify the need we have of the 
intercession of Mary. 

This then is the sentiment in which so many theo- 
logians and holy fathers concur, of whom we cannot 
with justice say, as the author quoted above has 
asserted, that to exalt Mary they have uttered hyper- 
boles, and that excessive exaggerations have fallen 
from their lips. To exaggerate and utter hyperboles, 
is to exceed the limits of truth, which cannot be said 
of the saints who have spoken, enlightened by the 
Spirit of God, who is the Spirit of truth. And here, if 
I may make a brief digression, let me express a sen- 
timent of mine, namely : when an opinion is in any 
way honorable to the most holy Virgin, and has some 
foundation, and is not repugnant to the faith and the 
decrees of the Church, and to the truth ; the rejection 

* In me omnis spes vitae et virtutis. 

t In me omnis gratia vitae et veritatis. 

X Qui me invenerit, inveniet vitam, et liauriet salutem a Do- 
mino. 

§ Qui operantur in me, non peccabunt. Qui elucidant me, 
vitam aeternam babebunt. 


GLORIES OF MART. 


175 


of it, and opposition to it, because the contrary may 
also be true, indicates little devotion to the mother of 
God. I would not be one of the number of these, 
nor would I see you, my reader, one of them, but 
rather of the number of those who fully and firmly 
believe all that can be believed, without error, con- 
cerning the greatness of Mary, as the Abbot Rupert 
says, who places among the offerings of devotion most 
pleasing to this mother, that of a firm belief in her 
great privileges.* If no one else, St. Augustine at 
least might remove from us all fear of exaggeration 
in the praise of Mary, who asserts that all we may 
say in her praise is little in comparison with what she 
merits on account of her dignity as mother of God. 
The holy Church also, in the Mass of the blessed 
Virgin, requires these words to be read : “For thou 
art happy, oh sacred Virgin Mary, and most worthy 
of all praise. ”f 

But let us return to our subject, and hear what the 
saints say of the opinion in question. St. Bernard 
says that God has bestowed all graces on Mary, that 
men, through her as through a channel, may receive 
whatever good is in store for them.J Moreover, the 
saint here makes an important reflection, and says that 
before the birth of the most holy Virgin there flowed 

* Ejus magnalia firmiter credere. Laud. Virg. 

f Felix oamque es, sacra Virgo Maria, et omni laude dignis- 
sima. 

X Plenus aquseductus, ut accipiant cseteri de plenitudrue, 
Serm. de Aqused. 


176 


GLORIES OF MART. 


no such current of grace for all, since this desired chan- 
nel did not yet exist.* * * § But for this end, he adds, Mary 
has been given to the world, that through this chan- 
nel the divine graces might continually flow down 
upon us.f 

As Holofemes, in order to gain the city of Bethu- 
lia, directed the aqueducts to be broken, so the devil 
makes every effort to deprive souls of their devotion 
to the mother of God ; for, if this channel of grace 
were closed, he could easily succeed in gaining them 
to himself. The same holy father continues, and says : 
Observe, then, oh souls, with what affection and devo- 
tion the Lord would have us honor this our queen, by 
always seeking and confiding in her protection ; for in 
her he has placed the fulness of all good, that hence- 
forth we may recognize as coming from Mary what- 
ever of hope, grace, or salvation we receive.^ St. 
Antoninus says the same thing : All the mercies ever 
bestowed upon men have all come through Mary.§ 

For this reason she is called the moon, because, as 

* Propterea tempore humano generi fluenta gratise defuerunt, 
quod necdum intercederet is de quo loquimur, tam desiderabilis 
aquseductus. Serm. de Aqused. 

t Descendit per aquseductum vena ilia ccelestis stillicidia 
gratise arentibus cordibus nostris infundens. Loo. cit. 

X Intueamini quanto devotionis affeetu a nobis earn voluit 
honorari, qui totius boni plenitudinem posuit in Maria ; ut pro- 
inde si quid spei nobis est, si quid gratise, si quid salutis, ab ea 
noverimus redundare. Serm. de Nat. Virg. 

§ Per earn de coelis exivit quidquid gratise venit in mundum. 
P. 4, tit. 15, c. 20. 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


177 


St. Bonaventure remarks, as the moon is between the 
sun and the earth, and reflects upon the latter what 
she receives from the former, so Mary receives the 
celestial influences of grace from the divine Son, to 
transfuse them into us who are upon the earth.* 

For this reason, too, she is called the gate of heaven 
by the holy Church: “Felix coeli porta because, 
St. Bernard again observes, as every rescript of grace 
sent by the king comes through the palace gate, so it 
is given to Mary, that through her thou shouldst re- 
ceive whatever thou hast.f St. Bonaventure, more- 
over, says that Mary is called the gate of heaven, be- 
cause no one can enter heaven if he does not pass 
through Mary, who is the door of it.J 

St. Jerome confirms us in the same sentiment (or, 
as some persons think, another ancient author of a 
sermon upon the Assumption, which is inserted among 
the works of St. Jerome), when he says, that in Jesus 
Christ was the fulness of grace as in the head, whence 
descend to the members, which we are, all the vital 
spirits, that is, the divine aids for attaining eternal sal- 
vation ; in Mary likewise was fulness as in the neck, 
through which those vital spirits pass to the mem- 

* Quia sicut luna inter corpora coelestia et terrena est media, 
et quod ab iiiis accipit ad inferiora refundit ; sic et Virgo regina 
inter nos et L' eum est media, et gratiam ipsa nobis refundit. 
Serm. 74, de Nat. Dom. 

f Datum est M arise, ut per illam acciperes quicquid haberes. 
Serm. 3, in Virg. Nat. 

X Null us potest caelum intrare, nisi per Mariam transeat tam- 
quam per portam. 


178 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


hers.* * * § This is confirmed by St. Bernardine of Sienna, 
who more clearly unfolded this thought, saying that 
through Mary are transmitted to the faithful, who are 
the mystic body of Jesus Christ, all the graces of the 
spiritual life, which descend upon them from Jesus 
their head.f 

St. Bonaventure also attempts to assign the reason 
for this when he says : God being pleased to dwell 
in the womb of this holy Virgin, she has acquired 
thereby, in a certain sense, a kind of jurisdiction over 
all graces; since Jesus came from her sacred womb, 
together with him proceed from her, as from a celestial 
ocean, all the streams of divine gifts.J St. Bernardine 
of Sienna expresses this in even clearer terms. From 
the time, he asserts, that this mother conceived in her 
womb the Divine Word, she acquired, if we may thus 
express it, a special right to the gifts which proceed 
. to us from the Holy Spirit, so that no creature has re- 
ceived any grace from God except by the intervention 
and hand of Mary.§ 


* In Christo fuit plenitudo gratiae sicut in capite influente, in 
Maria sicut in collo transfundente. Serm. de Ass. B. V. 

t Per Virginem a capite Christi vitales gratise in ejus corpus 
mysticum transfunduhtur. Serm. 61, de Nat. Virg. c. 8. 

X Cum tota natura divina intra Virginis uterum extiterit; 
non timeo dicere quod in omnes gratiarum effluxus quamdam 
jurisdictionem habuerit haec Virgo, de cujus utero quasi de quo- 
dam divinitatis oceano flumina emanabant omnium gratiarum. 
In Spec. cap. 3. 

§ A tempore quo virgo mater concepit in utero verbum Dei, 
quamdam, ut sic dicam, jurisdictionem obtinuit, in omni spiri- 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


179 


And thus is explained by a certain author* that 
passage of Jeremias where the prophet, speaking of 
the inoarnation of the Word and of Mary his mother, 
says, that “a woman shall compass a man.”f The 
author above named explains this to mean that, as no 
line proceeds from the centre of a circle which does 
not pass through its circumference; thus no grace 
comes to us from Jesus, who is the centre of every 
good, that does not pass through Mary, who encom- 
passed him after she had received him in her womb. 

Hence, says St. Bernardine, all gifts, all virtues, 
and all graces, are dispensed by MaryJ to whom she 
will, when she will, and in the manner she will. 
Richard likewise says, that God wishes all the good 
he bestows on creatures to pass through the hands of 
Mary.§ Hence the venerable Abbot of Celles exhorts 
every one to have recourse to this treasurer of graces, 
as he calls her : “ Thesaurariam gratiarum for only 
by her means the world and men are to receive all the 
good they may hope for. || By which it is evident 

tus sancti, processione temporali ; ita ut nulla creatura aliquam 
a Deo obtinuit gratiam, nisi secundum ipsius piae matris dispen- 
sationem. Serai. 61, tract. 1, art. 8. 

* Crasset. Div della Yerg. 

\ Fcemina circumdabit virum. Jerem. xxxi. 22. 

X Ideo omnia dona, virtutes, et gratiae, quibus vult, quande 
vult, et quomodo vult, per ipsius manus dispensantur. Serm. 61, 
ut sup. 

§ Deus quicquid boni dat creaturis suis, per manus matris 
Yirginis vult transire. 

|| Accede ad Virginem, quia per ipsam mundus babiturus est 
omne bonum. De contempl. V. in Prol. 


180 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


that the saints and authors above quoted, in saying 
that all graces come to us through Mary, have not in- 
tended to say this only because we have received from 
Mary, Jesus Christ, who is the fountain of every good, 
as the author named above would imply; but they 
assure us that God, after having given us Jesus Christ, 
has decreed that all the graces which have been dis- 
pensed, are dispensed, and shall be dispensed to men, 
even to the end of the world, through the merits of 
Jesus, shall be dispensed through the hands and by 
the intercession of Mary. 

Hence Father Suarez concludes it to be the univer- 
sal sentiment of the Church at the present day, that 
the intercession of Mary is not only useful, but neces- 
sary.* Necessary, as we said before, not in the sense 
of absolute necessity, because only the mediation of 
Jesus Christ is absolutely necessary for us, but in the 
sense of moral necessity; for the Church holds the 
opinion, with St. Bernard, that God has chosen to be- 
stow no grace upon us but by the hands of Mary.j- 
St. Ildephonsus affirmed this before St. Bernard, when, 
addressing the Virgin, he says : Oh Mary, God has 
decreed to commit to thee all the favors that he would 
confer upon men ; hence he has confided to thee all 
the treasures and riches of grace. J And therefore St. 

* Sentit Ecclesia intercessionem B. Virginia esse sibi utilem, 
et necessariam. Tom. 2, in 3, par. disp. 23, sect. 3. 

t Nihil Dens habere nos voluit, quod per manus Mariae non 
transiret. Sorm. 3, in Vigil. Nat. 

X Omnia bona quae illis summa majestas dccrevit facere, tuis 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


181 


Peter Damian says,* that God would not become 
man without the consent of Mary, that, in the first 
place, we might remain greatly indebted to her ; and 
secondly, that we might understand the salvation of 
all men to be made dependent upon her good pleasure. 

St. Bonaventure, contemplating the words of Isaias, 
where the prophet says : From the race of Jesse 
there shall come forth a rod — that is, Mary; and 
from that the flower — that is, the Word incarnate, f 
utters these beautiful words : Let him who would ob- 
tain the grace of the Holy Spirit, seek the flower in 
the rod, Jesus in Mary ; since by the rod we obtain 
the flower, and by the flower we find God.J And he 
afterwards adds : If thou wouldst have this flower, 
strive, with prayers, to incline the stem of the flower 
in thy favor, and thou wilt obtain it.§ The seraphic 
Doctor, also commenting on the words : “ They found 
the child with Mary his mother,” || says : Jesus is 
never found but with and through Mary and con- 

manibus decrevit commendare ; commissi quippe sunt thesauri, 
et ornamenta gratiarum. In Cor. Virg. c. 15. 

* De Nat. Virg. ap. Pac. Exc. 1, n. 15. 

t Egredietur virga de radice Jesse, et flos de radice ejus as- 
cendet, et requiescet super eum spiritus Domini. Isa. xi. 1, 2. 

X Quicumque Spiritus Sancti gratiam adipisci desiderat, flo- 
rem, in virga quaerat ; per virgam enim ad florem, per florem ad 
spiritum pervenimus. In Spec. c. 6. 

§ Si hunc florem habere desideras, virgam floris precibus 
fiectas. Loc. cit. 

|| Invenerunt puerum cum Maria matre ejus. Matth. ii. 11. 

IF Nunquam invenitur Christus, nisi cum Maria, nisi per Mae 
riam. Serm. 25. In Epiph. 


16 


182 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


eludes with these words : He seeks J esus- in vain who 
does not look for him with Mary.* * * § Hence St. Ilde- 
phonsus says : I would be a servant of the Son, and 
as he can never be a servant of the Son who is not the 
servant of the mother, my ambition is to be 
a servant of Mary.f 


EXAMPLE. 

It is related by Belluacensis| and Cesarius,§ that 
a noble youth having lost by his vices the wealth left 
him by his father, became so poor that he was obliged 
to beg. He quitted his native land, that he might live 
with less shame in a distant country where he was 
unknown. On this journey he met one day an old 
servant of his father, who, seeing him so cast down by 
the poverty he was suffering, told him to cheer up, 
for he would take him to a prince who was so liberal 
that he would provide him with every thing he needed. 
Now this wretch was an impious sorcerer. One day 
he took the youth with him to a wood on the borders 
of a moor, where he began to address some invisible 
person. The youth asked to whom he was speaking. 
“ To the devil,” he answered ; and seeing the youth 
terrified, bade him not to fear. Continuing to speak 

* Frustra igitur quierit qui cum Maria invenire non quserit. 

t Ut sim servus filii, servitutem appeto genitricis. De Virg. 
Mar. c. 12. 

% Spec. Hist. 1. 7, c. 105. 

§ Hist. 2, c. 2. 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


183 


with the devil, he said : “ This youth, oh my master, 
is reduced to extreme necessity, and wishes to be re- 
stored to his former condition.” “If he will obey 
me,” said the enemy, “ I will make him richer than 
before ; but in the first place, he must renounce God.” 
At this the youth shuddered, but urged on by that 
cursed magician, he yielded, and renounced God. 
“But this is not sufficient,” said the demon; “he 
must also renounce Mary ; for it is to her that we at- 
tribute our greatest losses. Oh, how many souls she has 
snatched from us, and led back to God and saved !” 
“ Oh, this I will not do,” exclaimed the youth ; “ deny 
Mary ! why she is my only hope. I would rather be 
a beggar all my life.” With these words he left the 
plaee. On his way he happened to pass a church 
dedicated to Mary. The unhappy youth entered it, 
and kneeling before her altar, began to weep and im- 
plore the most holy Virgin that she would obtain the 
pardon of his sins. Mary immediately began to inter- 
cede with the Son for that miserable being. Jesus at 
first said: “But that ungrateful youth, my mother, 
has denied me.” But seeing that his mother still 
continued to entreat him, he at last said : “ Oh, my 
mother, I have never refused thee any thing ; he shall 
be pardoned, since thou dost ask it.” The citizen who 
had purchased the inheritance of that prodigal was 
secretly present at this scene, and beholding the mercy 
of Mary towards that sinner, he gave him his only 
daughter in marriage, and made .him heir of all his 
possessions. Thus that youth recovered, through the 


184 


GLOEIES OF MAET. 


intercession of Mary, the favor of God and even Ills 
temporal possessions. 

P RAYER. 

Oh my soul ! behold the beautiful hope of salva- 
tion, and of life eternal, which the Lord has granted 
thee, by giving thee, in his mercy, confidence in the 
protection of his mother, when thou hast by thy sins 
so often merited his displeasure and the pains of hell. 
Give thanks, then, to God, and to thy protectress, 
Mary, who hath deigned to shelter thee beneath her 
mantle, as already thou certainly knowest, by the 
many graces that thou hast received through her. 
Yes, I thank thee, oh my loving mother! for the 
good thou hast done me, a miserable sinner, deserving 
of hell. From how many dangers hast thou delivered 
me, oh my queen ! How much light and how many 
mercies hast thou obtained for me, from God, by thy 
intercession ! What great advantage, or what great 
honor hast thou received from me, that thou art thus 
intent on doing me good ? 

Thy goodness alone, then, hath moved thee in my 
behalf. Ah ! if I were to give my blood, my life for 
thee, it would be little compared to what I owe thee, 
for thou hast delivered me from eternal death ; thou, 
who hast enabled me to recover, as I hope, the divine 
favor, and from thee finally I acknowledge all my 
blessings to proceed. Oh my Lady ! most worthy of 
love, I a miserable creature can make thee no return 
but always to praise and love thee. Ah ! do not dis- 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


185 


dain to accept the affection of a poor sinner, who is 
enamored of thy goodness. If my heart is not worthy 
to love thee, because it is evil and full of earthly affec- 
tions, do thou change it. Ah ! unite me to my God, 
and unite me so that I can never be separated from 
his love. This thou desirest of me, that I may love 
thy God, and this I wish from thee. Obtain for me 
that I may love him, and love him always, and I ask 
nothing more. Amen. 


SECTION II. 

THE SAME SUBJECT CONTINUED. 

St. Bernard says, that as a man and a woman have 
co-operated for our ruin, so it was fit that another man 
and another woman should co-operate for our restora- 
tion; and these were Jesus and his mother Mary. 
Doubtless, says the saint, Jesus Christ alone was all- 
sufficient for our redemption : yet it was more fitting 
that each sex should take part in our redemption, when 
both took part in our corruption.* For this reason 
blessed Albertus Magnus calls Mary the co-operatrix 
with Christ in our redemption: “Adjutrix Redemp- 
tionis.” And she herself revealed to St. Bridget, that 
as Adam and Eve sold the world for one apple, so her 


* Congruum magis fuit ut adesset nostrae reparationi sexus 
uterque, quorum corruptioni neuter defuisset. Serm. in Sig. 
Magn. 


16 * 


186 


GLORIES OF MARY. 

Son and herself with one heart redeemed the world.* * * § 
God could, indeed, as St. Anselm asserts, create the 
world from nothing ; but when it was lost by sin, he 
would not redeem it without the co-operation of 
Mary.f 

In three ways, says Father Suarez, the divine mother 
shared in the work of our salvation : first, by having 
merited, that is, with merit of congruity, the Incar- 
nation of the Word. Secondly, by praying much for 
us while she lived on the earth. Thirdly, by willingly 
sacrificing to God the life of her Son for our salvation ; 
and therefore the Lord has justly ordained that as 
Mary has, with so much love for man, aided in the sal- 
vation of all, and thereby so greatly promoted the 
glory of God, all through her intercession shall ob- 
tain salvation. 

Mary is called the co-operatrix with her Son in our 
justification, because God has committed to her keep- 
ing all the graces that he has destined for us. J Where- 
fore St. Bernard affirms, that all men, past, present, 
and to come, should regard her as the medium and 
negotiator of the salvation of all ages. 8 

o o O 

* Adam et Eva vendiderunt mundum pro uno pomo ; filius 
meus et ego redemimus mundum uno eorde. Lib. 5, c. 35. 

t Qui potuit omnia de nihilo facere, noluit ea violata sine 
Maria reficere. In Alloq. coel. n. 27. 

X Auxiliatrix nostras justificationis, quia Deus omnes gratias 
faciendas Marias commisit. 

§ Ad illam sicut ad medium, sicut ad negotium omnium sseeu- 
loium respiciant, et qui prascesserunt, et nos qui sumus, et qui 
sequentur. Serm. 2, in Pentec. 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


187 


Jesus Christ has said, that no one could find* him 
unless his Eternal Father drew him by his divine 
grace.* Thus, also, according to Richard, Jesus said 
of his mother : No one comes to me unless my mother 
draw him with her prayers.f 

Jesus was the fruit of Mary, as Elizabeth expressed 
it : “ Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is 
, the fruit of thy womb.”]; Whoever, then, wishes for 
the fruit, must go to the tree ; whoever wishes for 
J esus must go to Mary ; and he who finds Mary, cer- 
tainly also finds Jesus. St. Elizabeth, when the most 
holy Virgin came to visit her in her house, not knowing 
how to thank her, in deep humility exclaimed : “ How 
have I merited that the mother of my God should 
come to visit me ?”§ But why ! we may ask : did 
not Elizabeth already know that not Mary only, but 
Jesus also, had entered her dwelling ? And why, then, 
does she call herself unworthy to receive the mother, 
and not rather unworthy of receiving a visit from the 
Son ? Ah, well did the saint understand that when 
Mary comes she brings Jesus also ; and hence it was 
sufficient for her to thank the mother, without naming 
the Son. 

“ She is like the merchant’s ship, she bringeth her 

* Nemo venit ad me, nisi Pater mens traxerit eum. 

f Nemo venit ad me, nisi Mater mea suis precibus traxerit 
eum. In Cant. c. 2, v. 3. 

X Benedicta tu. inter mulieres, et benedictus fructus ventris 
tui. Luc. i. 42. 

§ Et unde hoc mihi, ut veniat mater Domini mei ad me? 
Luc. i. 43. 


188 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


bread from afar.”* * * § Mary is that blessed ship, which 
brought to us from heaven Jesus Christ, the living 
bread that came from heaven to give us life eternal, 
as he has said : “I am the living bread which came 
down from heaven : if any man eat of this bread, he 
shall live forever. ”f Hence Richard of St. Laurence 
says, that all those will be lost in the sea of this world 
who are not received into this ship, that is, protected 
by Mary.]; He also adds, that whenever we find our- 
selves in danger of destruction from the temptations 
or passions of the present life, we ought to flee to 
Mary, crying quickly, Oh Lady, help us ; save us, if 
thou wouldst not see us lost.§ And let it be remark- 
ed here, in passing, that this writer does not hesi- 
tate to say to Mary : Save us, we perish — “ Salva nos, 
perimus as the author mentioned several times in 
the previous section does, who denies that we can ask 
the Virgin to save us, because, as he says, it belongs 
only to God to save us. But if a person condemned 
to death may ask some favorite of the king to save 
him by interceding for him with his prince, why cannot 
we implore the mother of God to save us, by obtain- 
ing for us through her prayers the grace of eternal 

* Facta est quasi navis institoris, de longo portans panem 
Buum. Prov. xxxi. 14. 

t Ego sum panis vivus, qui de coelo descendi, si quis mandu- 
caverit ex hoc pane vivet in seternum. Joan. vi. 51. 

X In mare mundi submergentur omnes illi, quos non suscepit 
navis ista. De Laud. Virg. 

§ Ideo quoties videmus insurgentes fluctus hujus maris, cla- 
mare debemus ad Mariam ; Domina, salva nos, perimus. Loc. cit. 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


189 


life? St. John of Damascus did not hesitate to. say 
to the Virgin : Oh pure and immaculate queen, save 
me, deliver me from eternal damnation.* * * § St. Bona- 
venture called Mary the salvation of those invoking 
her.f The Church allows us to invoke her : Health of 
the weak — “ Salus infirmorum and shall we hesitate 
to ask her to save us, when, according to a certain 
author, to no one is the door of salvation open except 
through her?J And before him St. Germanus, speak- 
ing of Mary, said: No one can be saved except 
through thee.§ 

But let us see what more the saints say of the need 
we have of the intercession of the divine mother. The 
glorious St. Cajetan said that we could ask for graces, 
but we could never obtain them without the interces- 
sion of Mary. And St. Antoninus confirms this, ex- 
pressing himself thus beautifully : Whoever asks and 
wishes to obtain graces without the intercession of 
Mary, attempts to fly without wings ;|| for, as Pharaoh 
said to Joseph, “ The land of Egypt is in thy hand 
and as he sent all those to Joseph who applied to 
him for assistance, saying : Go to Joseph — “ Ite ad 

* Regina immaculata et pura, salva me, libera ab eterna dam- 
natione. Orat. Paneg. 

t 0 salus te invocantium. 

% Nemini nisi per earn patet aditus ad salutem. Pacciuceh. 
de B. Virg. 

§ Nemo qui salvus fiat nisi per te. Serm. de Zona. Virg. 

|j Qui petit sine ipsa, sine alis tentat volare. P. 3, tit. 15, c. 
22, § 9. 

If Terra Egypti in manu tua est. 


190 


GLOKIES OF MAET. 


Joseph so God, when we supplicate him for favors, 
sends us to Mary : Go to Mary — “ Ite ad Mariam 
for he has decreed, says St. Bernard, that he will 
grant no favors except through the hands of Mary.* 
Hence Richard of St. Laurence says : Our salvation 
is in the hands of Mary, and we Christians can more 
justly say to her than the Egyptians to Joseph, our 
salvation is in thy hand.f The venerable Idiot says 
the same thing : Our salvation is in her hands — ■“ Salus 
nostra in manu illius est.”J Cassian asserts the same 
thing, but in stronger language. He absolutely af- 
firms that the salvation of the whole world depends 
upon the favor and protection of Mary.§ St. Ber- 
nardine of Sienna thus addresses her: Oh Lady, 
since thou art the dispenser of all graces, and we must 
receive the grace of salvation through thy hand alone, 
then our salvation depends on thee.|| 

Richard says rightly then, that as a stone falls 
so soon as the earth is removed from beneath it, in 
like manner a soul, if the support of Mary is taken 
away, will fall first into sin and then into hell.®[ St. 

* Decrevit nihil dare, nisi per Mariam. Serm. de Nat. Virg. 

+ Salus nostra in manu Marise est, ut ei dicere multo melius 
valeamus nos Christiani, quam Egyptii dixerunt Joseph ; salus 
nostra in manu illius est. L. 2, de Laud. Virg. p. 1. 

X In Prsef. Cant. 5. 

§ Tota salus mundi consistit in multitudine favoris Marise. 

| Tu dispensatrix omnium gratiarum ; salus nostra in manu 
tua est. Serm. 1, de Nat. B. Virg. 

H Sicut lapis, subtracta terra, delabitur in profundum; ita 
subtracto Marise adjutorio, homo delabitur in peccatum, et inde 
in infernum. L. 8, de Laud. Virg. c. 11. 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


191 


Bonaventure adds, that God will not save us without 
the intercession of Mary,* * * § and goes on to say, that as 
an infant cannot live without its nurse, so no one with- 
out the protection of Mary can be saved.f Therefore 
he exhorts us in this way: Let thy soul thirst for 
devotion to Mary ; preserve it always, never abandon 
it until you arrive in heaven and receive her maternal 
benediction.^ Who, says St. Germanus, would ever 
know God, if it were not through thee, oh most 
holy Mary? Who would be saved? Who would 
be free from peril ? Who would receive any favor if 
it were not through thee, oh mother of God ? Oh 
Virgin mother, oh full of grace !§ And in another 
place he says: If thou didst not open the way, no 
one would be free from the sting of the flesh and of 
sin.|| 

As we have access to the eternal Father only 
through Jesus Christ, so, says St. Bernard, we have 
access to Jesus Christ only through Mary.^[ And St. 

* Ipse sine ea non salvabit te. 

+ Quemadmodum infans sine nutriee non potest vivere, ita 
sine domina nostra non potes habere salutem. In Cant. B. V. 
pro Sabb. 

% Sitiat ergo anima tua ad ipsam ; tene, nec dimitte, donee 
benedixerit tibi. 

§ Nemo est, o sanctissima, qui ad Dei notitiam venit, nisi per 
te; nemo qui salvus fiat, nisi perte, Dei parens; nemo liber a 
periculis nisi per te, Virgo mater. Nemo donum Dei suscepit, 
nisi per te, gratia plena. Serm. de Zona. Virg. 

y Nisi enim tu iter aperieres, nemo spiritualis evaderet. Orat. 
de Dorm. Deip. 

Tf Per to, accessum babemus ad filium, o inventrix gratise, 


192 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


Bernard gives us the reason why the Lord decreed 
that all men should be saved by the intercession of 
Mary, namely, that through Mary we might be re- 
ceived by that Saviour who, through Mary, has been 
given to us; and therefore the saint calls her the 
mother of grace and of our salvation. Then, resumes 
St. Germanus, what would become of us ? what hope 
of salvation would remain to us if thou, oh Mary, 
didst abandon us, thou who art the life of Christians ?* 
But, the modern author above quoted remarks : It 
all graces pass through Mary, when we implore the 
intercession of the saints, they must have recourse to 
the mediation of Mary to obtain for us these graces. 
This, however, says he, no one believes, or has ever 
thought of. I reply, that there can be no error or 
difficulty in believing this. What difficulty is there in 
saying that God, to honor his mother, having crowned 
her queen of the saints, and having ordained that all 
graces should be dispensed by her hands, would have 
the saints also invoke her to obtain favors for then 
clients ? As to saying that no one has ever thought 
of it, I find that St. Bernard, St. Anselm, St. Bonaven- 
ture, Father Suarezf also, and others expressly assert it. 
In vain, says St. Bernard, would one pray to the other 
saints for a desired favor, if Maiy did not intercede to 


mater salutis, nt per te nos suscipiat, qui per te datus est 
nobis. 

* Si nos deserueris, quid erit de nobis, Vita Cbristianorum ? 
Serm. de Zona Virg. 
t Tom. 2, in 3, p. D. 23, sect. 8. 


GLORIES OF MARY. 193 

obtain it for them.* * * § Thus also a certain author ex- 
plains, in this connection, that passage of David : “ All 
the rich anfong the people shall entreat thy counte- 
nance.”! The rich of that great people of God are 
the saints, who, when they wish to obtain a favor for 
one of their clients, all recommend themselves to 
Mary, that she may obtain it for them. Justly, then, 
says Father Suarez, we implore the saints to be our 
intercessors with Mary, who is their lady and queen.! 

It is precisely this which St. Benedict promised to 
St. Frances of Rome, as we learn from Father Mar- 
chese.§ The above-named saint appeared to her one 
day, and taking her under his protection, promised to 
be her advocate with the divine mother. St. Anselm 
adds, in confirmation of this, addressing the blessed 
Virgin : Oh Lady, what the prayers of all these saints 
can obtain, in union with thine, thou canst obtain, by 
thy intercession alone without their aid.|| But where- 
fore hast thou such power ? “ quare hoc potes ?” con- 
tinues the saint. Because thou alone art the mother 
of our common Saviour, thou art the spouse of God, 


* Frustra alios sanctos oraret, quern ista non adjuvaret. 

+ Vultum tuum deprecabuntur omnes divites plebis. Psal. 
xliv. 13. 

X Inter sanctos non solemus nti uno tamquam intercessore ad 
alium, cum omnes sint ejusdem ordinis, ad virginem autem 
tamquam ad Dominam ac Eeginam alii sancti adhibentur inter- 
cessores. 

§ Nel Piario di Maria alii. 21, di Marzo. 

|| Quid possunt omnes isti tecum, tusola potes sine illis omni- 
bus. Orat. 45, ad S. Virg. Mar. 

17 


194 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


the universal queen of heaven and earth.* If thou 
dost not speak for us, no saint will pray for us and 
aid us.f But if thou art moved to pray for us, all 
the saints will engage to intercede for us and help us.J 
So says Father Segneri,§ applying to Mary, as the 
holy Church does, these words of Wisdom : “I alone 
have compassed the circuit of heaven. ”|| As with its 
motion the first sphere puts in motion all the others, 
so when Mary is moved to pray for a soul, she moves 
all heaven to pray with her. St. Bonaventure says 
even, that then she commands, as being their queen, 
all the saints and angels to accompany her and unite 
their prayers to hers.®|[ 

So we see, finally, why the holy Church requires 
us to invoke and salute the divine mother with the 
great name of our hope : Hail our hope, “ Spes nostra 
salve.” The impious Luther could not endure that 
the holy Roman Church should call Mary, our 
hope;** because, as he said, God only and Jesus 

* Quia mater es salvatoris nostri, sponsa Dei, regina coeli et 
terrse. Lib. Or. Exc. v. ap. Pac. Exc. 20, in. sal. Ang. 2, 7. 

+ Te tacente, nullus juvabit, nullus orabit. 

X Te, domina orante, omnes juvabunt et orabunt. 

§ In bis book, “ Divoto di Maria.” 

|| Gyrum coeli circuivi sola. Eccli. xxiv. 8. 

IF Quando virgo sanctissima procedit ad Deum pro nobis de- 
precandum imperat angelis et sanctis, ut earn comitentur, et 
simul cum ipsa altissimum pro nobis exorent. In Spec. V. 
c. 3. 

** Ferre nequeo ut Maria dicatur spes et vita mea. In Post, 
Maj. Evang. in Nat. Mar. 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


195 


Christ as our mediator are our hope ; but that God 
curses those who place their hope in any creature, as 
we find in Jeremias : “ Cursed be the man that trust- 
eth in man.”* * * § But the Church teaches us everywhere 
to invoke Mary, and call her our hope : “ Spes nostra 
salve.” Whoever places his hope in a creature, inde- 
pendently of God, is certainly accursed of God, since 
God is the only fountain and the dispenser of every 
good, and the creature, without God, has nothing and 
can do nothing. But if the Lord has ordained, as we 
have proved, that all graces shall pass through Mary, 
as a channel of mercy, we can, and ought even to assert 
that Mary is our hope, by whose intercession we receive 
divine graces, and therefore it is St. Bernard called 
her the whole cause of his hope.f St. John of Da- 
mascus expresses the same thing when, addressing the 
blessed Virgin, he says to her : Oh Lady, in thee I 
have placed all my hope, and with firm confidence 
I look to thee for my salvation.^ St. Thomas says 
that Mary is all the hope of our salvation.§ St. 
Ephrem explains : Oh most holy Virgin, receive us 
under thy protection, if thou wilt see us saved, since we 
have no other hope of being saved but through thee.Jj 

* Maledictus homo qui confidit in homine. xvii. 5. 

t Pilioli, hseo maxima mea fiducia, haee tota ratio spei mese. 
Or. Pan. ad B. V. 

X In te spem meam collocavi ex animo et intentis oculis, aba 
te pendeo. Ap. Anriem. to. 1, c. 7. 

§ Omnes spes vitae. Opusc. 7. 

| Nobis non est alia quam a te fiducia, o virgo sincerris sima. 
Sub alis pietatis protege et custodi nos. De Laud. Virg. 


196 GLORIES OF MARY. 

We will then conclude in the words of St. Bernard : 
Let us strive, with all the affections of our heart, to 
reverence this divine mother, Mary, since this is the 
will of that Lord who would have us receive all good 
from her hands.* * * § And the saint exhorts us, whenever 
we desire and ask any favor, to recommend ourselves 
to Mary, and trust that we shall obtain it through her 
intercession.! For, says the saint, if you do not de- 
serve from God the favor you ask, Mary, who asks it 
in your behalf, merits to obtain it.J Hence the same 
Bernard exhorts us each and all, that, whatever w r e offer 
to God, whether works or prayers, we recommend all 
to Mary, if we wish our Lord to accept them.g 


EXAMPLE. 

Euty chian, Patriarch of Constantinople, relates the 
following well-known story of Theopliilus. The Pa- 
triarch was an eye-witness of the fact which we here 
relate, and which is confirmed by St. Peter Damian, 
St. Bernard, St. Bonaventure, St. Antoninus, and 
others.|| Theopliilus was archdeacon of the Church 

* Totis medullis cordium lianc Mariam veneremur, quia sic 
est voluntas ejus, qui totum nos habere voluit per Mariam. 
Serm. de Nat. B. Y. 

t Quaeramus gratiam, et per Mariam quaeramus. Serm. do 
Aquaed. 

X Quia indignus eras, cui donaret, datum est Mariae ut per 
illam acciperes quidquid haberes. Serm. 3, in Vig. Nativ. 

§ Quidquid Deo offerre potes, Mariae commendare memento, 
si non vis sustinere repulsum. Serm. de Aquaed. 

B Crasset Div. alia. B. V. tom. 1, tr. 1, q. 10. 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


197 


of Adanas, a city of Cilicia; and was so much es- 
teemed, that the people wished him to become their 
bishop, but his humility prevented his consent. Some 
malicious persons afterwards -accused him, and he 
was deposed from his office. This afflicted him so 
much, that, blinded by passion, he went to a Jewish 
magician, who induced him to apply to Satan for help 
in his misfortunes. The devil answered that if he 
wished his assistance, he must renounce Jesus, and 
Mary his mother, and hand over to him the act of re- 
nunciation, written with his own hand. Theophilus 
executed this vile document. On the following day 
the bishop having heard of the wrong done him by his 
calumniators, asked his forgiveness, and restored him 
to his office. But Theophilus began then to feel so 
tortured by remorse of conscience on account of the 
great crime he had committed, that he wept con- 
tinually. What does he do? He enters a church, 
prostrates himself in tears before an altar of the 
blessed Virgin, and exclaims : “ Oh mother of God, 
I will not despair having thee, who art so merciful, to 
aid me.” He persevered forty days in weeping and 
praying thus to the holy Virgin ; when behold, one 
night the mother of mercy appeared to him and said : 
“ Oh Theophilus, what have you done ? you have re- 
nounced my friendship and that of my Son ; and for 
whom ? for your own and my enemy.” “ Oh Lady,” 
answered Theophilus, “it belongs to thee to pardon 
me, and to obtain my pardon from thy Son.” Then 
Mary, seeing his confidence, answered, “ Take courage, 

17 * 


198 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


and I will pray God for thee.” Theophilus, encouraged 
by these words, redoubled his tears, his penance, and 
his prayers, remaining constantly at the foot of that 
altar. And, behold, Mary appeared to him again, and 
with a joyful countenance said to him : “ Theophilus, 
rejoice, I have presented thy tears and thy prayers 
to God; he hath accepted them, and hath already 
pardoned thee ; henceforth be grateful and faithful.” 
“ Oh Lady,” replied Theophilus, “ this is not sufficient 
to console me; the enemy still holds that impious 
deed, by which I have renounced thee and thy Son ; 
thou canst obtain it for me.” After three days The- 
ophilus awoke one night, and found the paper on his 
breast. The next day, when the bishop with a large 
assembly were present in the church, Theophilus cast 
himself at his feet, related the whole story, weeping 
bitterly, and gave him the infamous writing, which 
the bishop immediately ordered to be burned in pres- 
ence of all the people, who wept for joy, praising the 
goodness of God, and the mercy of Mary towards that 
miserable sinner. Theophilus returned to the church 
of the Virgin, and there, three days afterwards, he 
died happily, with thanksgivings to Jesus and his 
holy mother on his lips. 

PRAYER. 

Oh Queen and Mother of Mercy ! who dost dispense 
graces to all those who have recourse to thee, so liber- 
ally because thou art queen, and with so much love 
because thou art our most loving mother ; to thee I 


GLORIES OF MART. 


199 


commend myself to-day, destitute of merits and virtues 
as I am, and laden with debts to the divine justice. 
Oh Mary, thou hast the keys of all the divine mercies, 
do not forget my miseries, aind do not leave me in my 
great poverty. Thou who art so liberal with all, and 
who givest more than is asked of thee, do so with me. 
Oh Lady, protect me, this is all I ask. If thou dost 
protect me I fear nothing. I do not fear the demons, 
for thou art more powerful than all the spirits of hell ; 
nor my sins, for one word of thine in my behalf can 
obtain pardon of them all from God. If I have thy 
favor I do not fear even the anger of God, for he is 
appeased by one prayer of thine.. In a word, if thou 
dost protect me I hope all things, because all things 
are possible with thee. Oh mother of mercy, I know 
that thou takest pleasure and pride in giving succor 
to the most miserable, for thou canst aid them, if not 
prevented by their obstinacy. I am a sinner, but I 
am not obstinate ; I wish to change my life. Thou 
canst, then, help me ; do help and save me. To-day 
I place myself entirely in thy hands. Teach me what 
I must do to please God, and I will do it ; and I hope 
to do so with thy aid, oh Mary, Mary, my mother, 
my light, my consolation, my refuge, and my hope. 
Amen, amen, amen. 


200 


GLORIES OF MARY 


CHAPTER VI. 

EJA ERGO ADVOCATA NOSTRA! 
Ah, then, our advocate ! 


SECTION I. 

MARY IS AN ADVOCATE POWERFUL TO SAVE ALL. 

So great is the authority of mothers over their 
children, that although they may be monarchs, having 
absolute dominion over all the persons in their king- 
dom, yet their mothers can never become subject to 
them. It is true that Jesus is now in heaven, for he 
is seated there at the right hand of the Father even 
as man, as St. Thomas explains it ; by reason of the 
hypostatic union with the person of the Word, and 
has supreme dominion over all, and even over Mary ; 
yet it will always be true, that at the time when our 
Redeemer lived on this earth, he was pleased to hum- 
ble himself and make himself subject to Mary, as St. 
Luke teaches us : And he was subject to them : “ Erat 
subditus illis.”* St. Ambrose even says, that Jesus 
Christ having deigned to make Mary his mother, was 
obliged as her son to obey her. And therefore, ob- 
serves Richard of St. Laurence, it is said of the other 


* C. ii. v. 51. 


GLORIES OF MARY. 201 

saints, that they are with God ; but of Mary alone can 
it be said, that not only was it her lot to be subject to 
the will of God, but that God was also subject to her 
will.'* * * § And as it is said of the other holy virgins, as 
the same author remarks, that they follow the divine 
Lamb wherever he goes : “ Sequuntur agnum quo- 
cumque ierit ;”f of the Virgin Mary it may be said, 
that the divine Lamb followed her on this earth, hav- 
ing become subject to her.£ 

Hence we may say, that though Mary is in heaven, 
and can no longer command her Son, yet her prayers 
will ever be the prayers of a mother, and therefore 
most powerful to obtain whatever she asks. Mary, 
says St. Bonaventure, has this privilege with her Son, 
that she is most powerful to obtain by her prayers 
whatsoever she will.§ And wherefore ? Precisely 
for the reason which we have before mentioned, and 
which we will now examine more fully, namely, be- 
cause the prayers of Mary are the prayers of a mother. 
And therefore, says St. Peter Damian, the Virgin has 
all power in heaven as on earth, being able to raise to 

* Cum de ceteris sanctis dicatur, eos esse cum Deo, Maria ma- 
jus aliquid sortita est, ut non solum ipsa subjiceretur voluntati 
Dei, sed etiam Dominus voluntati ipsius. L. 1, de Laud. Virg. 
c. 5. 

t Ap. 14. 

X De virgine autem Maria secure dici potest, quod agnus se- 
quebater earn, quocumque ivit ; ex illo Luca: Erat subditua 
illis. Loc. cifr. 

§ Grande privilegium Maria, quod apud filium sit potentissi- 
ma. In Spec. c. 8. 


202 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


the hope of salvation even the most despairing/* * * § And 
then he adds, that when the mother asks any favor 
for us of Jesus Christ (called by the saint the altar of 
mercy where sinners obtain pardon from God), the 
Son has so great regard for the prayers of Mary, and 
so great a desire to please her, that when she prays, 
she seems to command rather than request, and to be 
a mistress rather than a handmaid. I Thus Jesus 
would honor this his dear mother, who has honored 
him so much in her life, by granting her immediately 
whatever she asks and desires. St. Germanus beau- 
tifully confirms this by saying to the Virgin : Thou 
art mother of God, omnipotent to save sinners, and 
needest no other recommendation with God, since 
thou art the mother of true life. J 

St. Bemardine of Sienna does not hesitate to say 
that all obey the commands of Mary, even God him- 
self ;§ signifying by these words, that God listens to 
her prayers as though they were commands. Hence 
St. Anselm thus addresses Mary : The Lord, oh holy 
Virgin, has so highly exalted thee, that by his favor 
thou canst obtain all possible graces for thy servants, 


* Data est tibi omnis potestas in coelo et in terra ; et nihil tibi 
impossible, cui possibile est etiam desperatos in spem salutis 
relevare. Serin. 1, de Nat. B. V. 

t Accedis enim ad illud humanas reconciliationis altare, non 
solum rogans, sed imperans; domina, non ancilla; nam filius 
nihil negans honorat. Loc. cit. 

% Serm. 3, in Dorm. B. V. 

§ Imperio Virginis omnia famulantur, etiam Deus. Tom. 2, 
Serm. 61. 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


203 


for thy protection is omnipotent.* * * § Thy help is om- 
nipotent, oh Mary : “ Omnipotens auxilium tuum, 0 
Maria as Cosmas of Jerusalem exclaims. Yes, 
Mary is omnipotent, adds Richard of St. Laurence, 
since the queen, by every law, must enjoy the same 
privileges as the king. For as the power of the Son 
and mother are the same, the mother by the omnipo- 
tent Son is made omnipotent.f As St. Antoninus says : 
God has placed the whole Church, not only under the 
patronage, but also under the dominion of Mary.]; 

As the mother, then, must have the same power as 
the Son, justly was Mary made omnipotent by Jesus, 
who is omnipotent ; it being, however, always true, 
that whereas the Son is omnipotent by nature, the 
mother is so by grace. And her omnipotence consists 
in this, that the Son denies nothing that the mother 
asks ; as it was revealed to St. Bridget, who heard 
Jesus one day addressing Mary in these words : “Oh 
my mother, thou knowest how I love thee ; ask from 
me, then, whatever thou dost desire, for there is no 
demand of thine that will not be graciously heard by 
me.”§ And the reason that he added was beautiful : 

* Te Deus, o virgo, sic exaltavit, ut omnia tibi secum possibi- 
lia esse donaris. Lib. de Cone. Virg. 

t Eisdem privilegiis secundum 'leges gaudet rex et regina. 
Cum autem eadem sit potestas filii et matris, ab omnipotente 
filio omnipotens mater facta est. L. 4, de Laud. Virg. 

X Ecclesia est, non tantum sub Virginis patrocinio, verum 
etiam sub dominatione ac potestate. P. 4, tit. 15, c. 20, 62. 

§ Pete quod vis a me, non enim potest esse inanis petitio tua. 
Rev. 1. 1, c. 4. 


204 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


“ Mother, when thou wast on earth, there was no- 
thing thou didst refuse to do for love of me; now 
that I am in heaven, it is just that I refuse nothing 
which thou dost ask of me.”* Mary is, then, called 
omnipotent in the sense in which it can be understood 
of a creature, who is not capable of any divine attri- 
bute. She is omnipotent, because she obtains by 
her prayers whatever she wishes. 

With reason, then, oh our great advocate ! says St. 
Bernard, dost thou only wish, and it is done: “ Yelis 
tu et omnia fient.” And St. Anselm : Whatever thou 
askest, oh Virgin ! cannot but be done.f Wish, and 
it will be done ; dost thou wish to raise the most aban- 
doned sinner to an exalted sanctity, to thee it is given 
to do it. The blessed Albertus Magnus represents 
Mary speaking thus : I must be asked to wish, for if 
I wish it must be done.j; Hence St. Peter Damian, 
contemplating this great power of Mary, and praying 
her to have pity on us, says : Oh Mary ! oh our be- 
loved advocate ! since thou hast a heart so compas- 
sionate, that thou canst not behold the miserable with- 
out pity ; and, at the same time, hast so great a 
power with God to save all those whom thou dost de- 
fend ; deign to intercede in behalf of us miserable 


* Quia tu mihi nihil negasti in terris, ego nihil tibi negabo in 
ccelis. 

t Quicquid tu Virgo velis, nequaquam fieri non poterit. De 
Exc. Virg. c. 12. 

X Roganda sum, ut velim ; quia, si volo, necesse est fieri. Ap. 
P. Pep. Grand, etc. 


GLORIES OF MART. 


205 


creatures, who place in thee all our hopes. If our 
prayers do not move thee, may thy merciful heart at 
least move thee ; may thy power at least move thee, 
since God, for this end, has enriched thee with so much 
power, that the richer thou art in the power to aid us, 
so much more compassionate thou mayest be in thy 
desire to aid us.* Of this, St. Bernard assures us, 
saying, that Mary is abundant in mercy as well as in 
power ; as her charity is most powerful, so also is it 
most merciful in our behalf, and this is manifested to 
us continually by its effects, f 

Even when she was living on this earth, the only 
thought of Mary, after the glory of God, was to 
relieve the wretched. And we know that then she 
enjoyed already the privilege of obtaining whatever 
she asked. This we know from what took place at 
the nuptials of Cana of Galilee, when the wine failed, 
and the blessed Virgin, compassionating the distress 
and mortification of that family, asked the Son to 
relieve them by a miracle, making known to him this 
want : They have no wine : “ Vinum non habent.”f 
Jesus answered : “ Woman, what is that to thee and 
to me ? my hour is not yet come.”§ Observe, that 

* Moveat te natura ; potentia moveat ; quia quanto potentior 
tanto misericordior esse debebis. Serm. 1, de N. B. V. 

t Potentissima, et piissima charitas matris Dei, et affectu com- 
patiendi, et subveniendi abundat effectu ; aeque locuples in utro- 
que. Serm. 4, de Assumt. 

X Joan. ii. 3. 

§ Quid mihi et tibi, mulier? nondum venit bora mea. Joan, 

ii. 4. 


18 


206 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


although the Lord appeared to refuse this favor to his 
mother, by saying: Of what importance is it, oh woman, 
to me and to thee that the wine* has failed ? It does 
not become me now to perform any miracle, as the 
time has not arrived, the time of my preaching, when 
with signs I must confirm my doctrine ; yet, notwith- 
standing this, Mary, as if the Son had already granted 
her the favor, said to the attendants : Fill the water- 
pots with water: “ Imple hydrias aqua.”* Come fill 
the water-pots, and you will be consoled ; and Jesus 
Christ, indeed, to please his mother, changed that 
water into the best wine. But how is this ? If the 
time appointed for miracles was the time of preach- 
ing, how could it be anticipated by the miracle of the 
wine, contrary to the divine decree ? Nothing, it may 
be answered, was done contrary to the divine decrees ; 
for although, generally speaking, the time for signs 
had not come, yet from eternity God had established 
by another general decree, that nothing the divine 
mother could ask should be denied her ; and there- 
fore Mary, well acquainted with her privilege, although 
her Son seemed to have then set aside her petition, 
said notwithstanding, that the water-pots should be 
filled, as though the favor were already granted. 
This, St. J ohn Chrysostom would express, when com- 
menting on the passage of John above mentioned — 
“ Oh woman, what is that to thee and to me ?” — he 
says, that although Jesus had answered thus, yet, for 


* Joan. ii. 7. 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


207 


the honor of his mother, he did not fail to comply 
with her demand.* St. Thomas confirms the same, 
when he observes, that by these words — “ My hour 
has not yet come” — Jesus Christ wished to show that 
he would have deferred the miracle, if another had 
asked him to perform it ; but because his mother asked 
it, he immediately performed it.f St. Cyril and St. 
Jerome confirm this, according to Barrada. And 
Jansenius of Ghent says, commenting on the same 
passage of St. John : That he might honor his mother, 
he anticipated the time of working miracles. J 

In a word, it is certain that no creature can obtain 
for us miserable sinners so many mercies as this good 
advocate, who is honored by God with this privilege, 
not only as his beloved handmaid, but also as his true 
mother. William of Paris says this when addressing 
her.§ It is enough that Mary speaks, and the Son 
does all she wishes. The Lord, speaking to the spouse 
of the Canticles, by whom is understood Mary, says : 
“ Thou that dvvellest in the gardens, the friends 

* Et licet ita respondent, maternis tamen precibus obtem- 
peravit. 

t Per ilia verba, nondum venit bora mea, ostendit se dilatu- 
rum fuisse miraculum, si alius rogasset; quia tamen rogabat 
mater, fecit. Apud. Defens, cultus Mariani, auctore E. D. Henr. 
de Cerf. p. 129. 

\ Quo matrem honoraret, prsevenit tempus miraculi faci- 
endi. 

§ Nulla creatura tot et tanta impetrare posset apud filium tuum 
miseris, quam tu impetras eisdem ; in quo procul dubio non 
tamquam ancillam, sed tamquam matrem verissimam te hono- 

rat. 


208 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


hearken, make me hear thy voice.”* The friends are 
the saints, who, when they ask any favor for their 
clients, wait until their queen prays to God for it and 
obtains it ; for, as was said before in Chap. V., no 
favor is dispensed except by the intercession of Mary. 
And how does Mary obtain favors? It is enough 
that her Son hears her voice : Make me to hear thy 
voice : “ Fac me audire vocem tuam.” It is enough 
that she speaks, and her Son immediately hears her. 
William of Paris, explaining in the same way the 
passage above named, introduces the Son, w T ho thus 
addresses Mary : Oh thou who dwellest in the celes- 
tial gardens, intercede with confidence for whomsoever 
thou wilt, for I cannot forget that I am thy Son, or 
think of refusing any thing to my mother. It is enough 
for thee to speak, and thy Son will graciously hear 
and grant thy petition.-)- The Abbot Godfrey says 
that Mary, although she obtains favors by praying, 
yet prays with a kind of maternal authority ; hence 
we may be sure that she will obtain whatever she 
desires and asks for us.J 

It is related of Coriolanus, by Valerius Maxi- 

* Quae habitas in hortis, amici auscultant, fac me audire 
vecem tuam. Cant. viii. 13. 

f Quae habitas in bortis ccelestibus, fiducialiter pro quibus 
volueris intercede ; non enim possum oblivisci me filium tuum, 
ut matri quidpiam dencgandum putem. Tantum ut vocem 
proferat, quia a filio audiri, exaudiri est. 

X Virgo Maria ex eo quod ille homo est, et natus ex ea, quasi 
quodam matus imperio, apud ipsum impetrare quod voluerit pia 
fiducia non dubitatur. Serm. viii. de B. Virg. 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


209 


mus,* * * § that when lie held Rome besieged, all the prayers 
of his friends and of the citizens could not induce him 
to withdraw his forces; but when his mother Veturia 
came to entreat him he could not resist, and immedi- 
ately raised the siege. But the prayers of Mary are 
as much more powerful with Jesus than the prayers 
of Veturia with her son, as the love and gratitude of 
Jesus to Mary exceeds that of the son of Veturia for 
his mother. Father Justin Micoviensis writes: One 
sigh of Mary has more power than the prayers of all 
the saints united. f The devil himself confessed this 
same thing to St. Dominic, when, constrained by his 
commands, he spoke through the mouth of a possessed 
person, saying, as Father Pacciucchelli narrates,^ that 
one sigh of Mary availed more with God than the 
united prayers of all the saints. 

St. Antoninus says, that the prayers of the blessed 
Virgin being the prayers of a mother, have a certain . 
kind of authority, hence it is impossible that she 
should not be heard when she prays.§ On this ac- 
count St. Germanus encourages sinners to recommend 
themselves to this advocate with these words : Thou, 
oh Mary, having the authority of a mother with God, 
dost obtain pardon for the vilest sinners ; for the Lord, 

* Lib. 5, cap. 4. 

t Unum beatse Marne suspirium plus posset, quam omnium 
Sanctorum simul suffragia. In lit. B. V. verbo. Virg. pot. 

t De B. V. 

§ Oratio Deiparoe liabet rationem imperii ; unde impossible 
est, earn non exaudiri. P. 4, tit. 15, c. 17, § 4. 

18 * 


210 


GLORIES OF MART. 


who in all things recognizes thee for his true mother, 
cannot refuse to grant thee whatever thou dost ask.* * * § 
St. Bridget, too, heard the saints in heaven saying to 
the Virgin : What is there that thou canst not do ? 
Whatever thou dost desire is done.f To which corre- 
sponds that celebrated verse : What God by a com- 
mand, thou, oh Virgin, by a prayer canst effect.^ Is 
it not, says St. Augustine, worthy of the goodness 
of the Lord thus to guard the honor of his mother ? 
for he asserts that he has come on the earth, not to 
break, but to fulfil the law, which, among other things, 
commands us to honor our parents.§ 

St. George, Archbishop of Nicomedia, even adds, 
that Jesus Christ grants to his mother all her petitions, 
as if to satisfy the obligation that he is under to her 
for having caused, by her consent, that the human 
nature should be given him.|| Wherefore, St. Metho- 
dius the martyr exclaims : Rejoice, oh Mary, that a 
Son has fallen to thy lot as thy debtor, who gives to 
all and receives from none. We are all debtors to 

* Tu autem materna in Deum auctoritate pollens, etiam iis qui 
enormiter peccant, eximiam remissionis gratiam concilias ; non 
enira potes non exaudiri, cum Deus tibi ut verse et intemeratse 
Matri in omnibus morem gerat. Van. Enc. Deip. 

t Domina benedicta, quid est quod non poteris ? Quod enim 
vis, hoc factum est. L. 4, Rev. c. 74. 

% Quod Deus imperio, tu prece Virgo potes. 

§ Nunquid non pertinet ad benignitatem Domini, matris ho- 
norem servare, qui legem non venit solvere ; sed adimplere ? 

II Films quasi exsolvens debitum, implet petitiones tuas. Or. 
de Ex. Mar. 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


211 


God for whatever we possess, since every thing is his 
gift ; but God has wished to make himself a debtor to 
thee, taking from thee his body and becoming man.* 
So also St. Augustine says : Mary having merited to 
give flesh to the Divine Word, and by that to furnish 
the price of the divine redemption, that we might be 
delivered from eternal death; therefore is she, says 
the same doctor, more powerful than any other to 
help us and obtain for us eternal salvation.f Hence 
St. Theophilus, Bishop of Alexandria, who lived in the 
time of St. Jerome, thus wrote : The Son is pleased to 
be entreated by his' mother, because he wishes to grant 
for her sake all that he does grant ; and thus to 
recompense the favor he has received from her when 
she gave him flesh. Hence St. John Damascene ad- 
dresses the Virgin in these words : Thou, then, oh 
Mary, being mother of God, canst save all men by 
thy prayers, which are enforced by a mother’s au- 
thority.]; 

Let us conclude with the words of St. Bonaventure, 
who, considering the great benefit which the Lord has 
conferred on us in giving us Mary for our advocate, 
thus addresses her : Oh truly immense and admirable 
goodness of God, who to us miserable, guilty crea- 

* Euge euge, quae debitorem habes filium, qui omnibus mu- 
tuatur. Deo enim universi debemus, tibi autem etiam ille 
debitor est. Orat. in Hyp. Dom. 

t Virgo quae meruit pro liberandis proferre pretium, potest 
plus omnibus suffragium liberatis impendere. Orat. 2. de aff. B. V . 

X Potes quidem omnes salvare, ut Dei Altissimi Mater, preci- 
bus materna auctoritate pollentibus. Ex. Men. 1 , Jan. Ode. 4. 


212 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


tures, has granted thee, oh our Lady, for our advocate, 
that thou miglitest, by thy powerful intercession, ob- 
tain for us whatever good thou wilt.* Oh, the great 
mercy of God, continues the saint, who, that we 
might not flee to hide ourselves from the sentence to 
be pronounced upon us, has destined his own mother 
and the treasurer of graces for our advocate.f 

EXAMPLE. 

Father Razzi, of the order of Camaldoli, relates 
that a certain youth having lost his father, was sent 
by his mother to the court of a prince.]; The mother, 
who had a great devotion to Mary, when she parted 
with him made him promise to recite every day a 
“ Hail Mary,” and add these words : “ Blessed Virgin , 
help me in the hour of my death .” The youth arrived 
at court, but soon began to lead so dissolute a life, 
that his master was obliged to send him away. In 
despair, without means of support, he went into the 
country and became a highway robber ; but even then 
he did not omit to recommend himself to our Lady, 
as his mother had directed him. At length he fell 
into the handfe of justice, and was condemned to death. 
Being in prison the evening before his execution, 

* Oh. certe Dei nostri mira benignitas, qui suis reis te Domi- 
nant tribuit advocatam, ut auxilio tuo, quod volueris, valeas im- 
petrare. In Salv. Reg. 

f 0 mirabilis erga nos, misericordia Dei nostri, qui ne fugere- 
mus pro sententia, voluit matrem ac dominam gratise instituero 
advocatam ! 

\ Mirac. di Maria, Mir. 47. 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


213 


and thinking of his disgrace, the grief of his mother, 
and the death which awaited him, he fell to weeping 
bitterly. The devil seeing him so oppressed by mel- 
ancholy, appeared to him in the form of a beautiful 
young man, and said to him that he would release 
him from death and prison, if he would follow his 
directions. The convict engaged to do all that he 
required. Then the pretended youth made known to 
him that he was the devil and had come to his assist- 
ance. In the first place, <he ordered him to renounce 
Jesus Christ and the holy sacraments. The youth 
consented. He then required him to renounce the 
Virgin Mary and her protection. “ This,” exclaimed 
the young man, “ I will never do,” and turning to 
Mary, repeated the accustomed prayer that his mother 
had taught him : Blessed Virgin , help me in the hour 
of my death. At these words the devil disappeared. 
The youth remained in great affliction for the wicked- 
ness he had committed in denying Jesus Christ. He 
invoked the blessed Virgin, and she obtained for him, 
by her prayers, a great sorrow for all his sins, so that 
he made his confession with much weeping and con- 
trition. On his way to the gallows, happening to pass 
before a statue of Mary, he saluted her with his usual 
prayer : Blessed Virgin, help me in the hour of m,y 
death, and the statue, in the presence of all, inclined 
its head and saluted him. Deeply moved, he begged 
to be allowed to kiss the feet of the image. The exe- 
cutioners refused, but afterwards consented on account 
of the clamor of the people. The youth stooped to kiss 


214 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


her feet, and Mary extended her arm from that statue, 
took him by the hand and held him so strongly that 
no power could move him. At this prodigy the mul- 
titude shouted “ Pardon, pardon,” and pardon was 
granted. Having returned to his country, he led an 
exemplary life, and was always most devoted to 
Mary, who had delivered him from temporal and 
eternal death. 

PRATER. 

Oh great mother of God, I will say to thee with St. 
Bernard: Thy Son hears thee, and will grant thee 
whatsoever thou dost ask.* Speak, then, speak, oh 
Mary our advocate, in behalf of us miserable creatures. 
Remember that thou hast received thy great power 
and dignity even for our benefit. A God has chosen 
to become thy debtor, by taking from thee the human 
nature to the end that thou mayest dispense to the 
miserable the riches of divine mercy. We are thy 
servants, in a special manner consecrated to thy ser- 
vice, and among these I hope to he one. We glory 
in living under thy protection. If thou doest good to 
all, even to those that do not know thee and do not 
honor thee, and who even insult and blaspheme thee ; 
how much more ought we to hope from thy kindness, 
who dost seek for the wretched that thou mayest re- 
lieve them ! we who honor, love, and trust in thee ! We 
are great sinners, but God has granted thee mercy 

* Loquere, Domina, quia audit filius tuus et qusecumque pe- 
tieris, impetrabis. 


GLORIES OF "MARY. 


215 


and power greater than all our sins. Thou canst and 
wilt save us ; and we will so much the more ear- 
nestly desire this, as we are unworthy of it, that we 
may glorify thee the more in heaven, when we shall 
have been received there by thy intercession. Oh, 
mother of mercy, we present to thee our souls, once 
pure and washed with the blood of Jesus Christ, but 
since defiled with sin. To thee we present them, 
wilt thou purify them ? Obtain for us sincere amend- 
ment, obtain for us the love of God, perseverance, 
paradise. We ask great things of thee, but canst 
thou not obtain them all for us ? Are they greater 
than the love which God has for thee ?' Thou hast 
only to open thy lips in prayer to thy Son, and he will 
grant thee all things. Pray, then, pray, oh Mary, for 
us ; and surely thou wilt be heard graciously, and we 
shall be surely saved. 


SECTION II. 

MARY 13 A MERCIFUL ADVOCATE, WHO DOES NOT REFUSE TO DEFEND 
THE CAUSE OF THE MOST MISERABLE SINNERS. 

There are so many reasons why we should love 
this our loving queen, that if all the earth should 
praise Mary, and all sermons treat of her alone, and 
all men should give their lives for Mary, it would yet 
be little compared to the homage and gratitude we 
owe her, for the very tender love she bears to all men, 
even to the most miserable sinners who preserve to- 
wards her any feeling of devotion. Raymond Jordan 


216 


GLORIES OF MART. 


declares that Mary cannot but love those who love her. 
Nay she does not disdain even to serve those who serve 
her, using, if they are sinners, all the power of her in- 
tercession to obtain pardon for them from her blessed 
Son.* And so great, he goes on to say, is her kindness 
and compassion, that no one, however degraded he may 
be, should fear to cast himself at her feet, since she re- 
jects no one who has recourse to her.f Mary, as our 
most loving advocate, offers herself to God the prayers 
of her servants, especially those which are offered to 
her ; for as the Son intercedes for us with the Father, 
thus she intercedes for us with the Son, and never 
ceases to intercede with both for our salvation, and to 
obtain for us the favors that we ask.J Rightly, then, 
does the blessed Denis, the Carthusian, call the holy 
Virgin the peculiar refuge of the lost, the hope of the 
wretched, and the advocate of all sinners who have ' 
recourse to her.§ 

But if there ever be any sinner who, indeed, does 
not doubt the power, but has no trust in the mercy of 
Mary, fearing that she may not be willing to aid him 

* Maria diligit diligentes se; imo sibi servientibus servit. 
Ipsa benedicto filio suo irato potentissime reconciliat servos et 
amatores suos. Praef. in Cant. 

t Tanta est ejus benignitas, quod nulli formidandum est ad 
earn accedere ; tantaque misericordia ut nemo ab ea repellatur. 

\ Ipsa preces servorum, maxime quae sibi exbibentur, repne- 
sentatin conspectu divinae majestatis; quia ipsa est advocata 
nostra apud filium, sicut filius apud Patrem. Imo apud Patrem 
et Filium procurat negotia et preces nostras. In diet. Praef. 

§ Singulare perditorum refugium, miserorum spera, advoca- 
tam omnium iniquorum ad se confugientium. 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


217 


on account of the magnitude of his offences, St. Bona- 
venture encourages him by saying : Great and pecu- 
liar is the privilege which Mary has with her Son, of 
obtaining by her prayers whatever she desires ;* * * § but 
what would this great power of Mary avail us, he 
adds, if she should be indifferent to our welfare?! 
No, let us not doubt, concludes the saint, let us be 
secure, and always thank the Lord and his divine 
mother for it ; for, as she is the most powerful of all 
saints with God, so she is the most loving advocate, 
and the most desirous of our welfare.^ And who, 
oh mother of sinners ! joyfully exclaims St. Germanus, 
who, after thy Jesus, has so much care of us, and of 
our welfare, as thou ?§ Who doth defend us in the 
trials that afflict us, as thou dost defend us ? Who 
take upon himself to protect sinners, as if combat- 
ing in their behalf, as thou dost ?|| Wherefore, he 
adds, thy patronage, oh Mary ! is more powerful and 
loving than we are able to comprehend.^]" Whilst, as 

* Grande privilegium Marise, quod apud filium sit potentis- 
sima. In Spec. lect. 6, 7. 

f Sed quid tanta Marise potentia prodesset nobis; si ipsanibil' 
curaret de nobis ? 

X Carissimi sciamus indubitanter, et pro boc gratias agamus 
incessanter, quia sicut ipsa apud eum omnibus sanctis est po~ 
tentior, ita pro nobis omnibus est sollicitior. 

§ Quis post filium tuum curam gerit generis humani, sieul 
tu ? Serm. de Zona. Virg. 

j| Quis ita nos defendit in nostris afflictionibus ? Quis pugnat 
pro peccatoribus ? 

If Propterea patrocinium tuum majus est quam apprebendi 
possit. 


19 


218 GLORIES OF MARY. 

the Idiot says, all the other saints can aid their own 
servants by their patronage more than others; the 
divine mother, as she is the queen of all, so is she 
the advocate of all, and cares for the salvation of 
all.* * * § 

She cares for all, even for sinners, and glories es- 
pecially in being called their advocate ; as she herself 
declared to the venerable sister Mary Yillani, saying : 
‘‘Next to the title of mother of God, I glory most 
in being named the advocate of sinners.” The blessed 
Amadeus says, that our queen is always before the 
divine Majesty, interceding for us with her powerful 
prayers.f And since in heaven she knows perfectly 
our miseries and necessities, she cannot but have pity 
on us ; so, with the affection of a mother, moved by 
compassion for us, she kindly and mercifully endeavors 
to relieve and save us.]; It is with good reason, then, 
that Richard of St. Laurence encourages every one, 
however degraded he may be, to appeal confidently 
to this sweet advocate, in the certain belief that he 
will always find her ready to help him.§ It is also 

* Cseteri sancti jure quodam patrocinii pro sibi specialiter 
cottimissis plus possunt prodesse, quam pro alienis ; beatissima 
vero Virgo, sicut omnium est regina, sic est omnium patrona et 
advocata, et cura illi est de omnibus. De Contempl. B. V. in 
Prol. 

t Adstat beatissima Virgo vultui conditoris prece potentis- 
sima, semper interpellans pro nobis. 

\ Videt enim nostra discrimina, nostrique elemens Domina 
materno affectu miseretur. 

§ Inveniet semper paratam auxiliari. 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


219 


well said by Godfrey, that Mary is ever ready to pray 
for all.* 

And oh, with how much efficacy and love, St. Ber- 
nard exclaims, this good advocate of ours conducts the 
cause of our salvation !f St. Augustine, contempla- 
ting the affection and earnestness with which Mary is 
continually occupied in interceding with the divine 
Majesty for us, that the Lord may pardon our sins-, 
assist us with his grace, free us from dangers, and re- 
lieve us from our miseries, thus addresses the holy 
Virgin \\ Oh Lady ! it is true that all the saints desire 
our salvation and pray for us ; but the charity and 
tenderness which thou dost manifest for us in heaven, 
by obtaining with thy prayers so many mercies from 
God, obliges us to confess, that we have in heaven 
only one advocate, that is thyself, and that thou alone 
art the only true lover watchful of our welfare. And 
who can comprehend the solicitude with which Mary 
is always waiting on God in our behalf? St. Ger- 
manus says : She is never satisfied with defending us : 
“ Non est satietas defensionis ejus.” The expression 
is beautiful. So great is the pity which Mary has for 
our miseries, and so great is the love she bears us, 
that she prays always, and prays again, and is never 


* Ipsa pro universo mundo paratissima est ad precandum. 
f Advocatam prsemisit peregrinatio nostra; quae tamquam 
judicis mater, et mater misericordiae, suppliciter et efficaciter 
salutis nostrae negocia pertractabit. Serm. 1, de Ass. 

% Unam te ac solam pro nobis in coelo fatemur esse sollicitam. 
Ap. in Spec. lect. 6. 


220 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


satisfied with praying for us, and defending us from 
evil with her prayers, and obtaining for us favors — 
she is never satisfied with defending us. 

What poor sinners we should be if we had not this 
advocate, so powerful and so merciful, and at the same 
time so prudent and so wise, that the judge, her Son, 
cannot condemn the guilty, if she defends them, as 
Richard of St. Laurence says.* Well, then, does St. 
John (the geometrician) salute her : Hail, authority 
which puts an end to strife. f For all the causes de- 
fended by this most wise advocate are gained. Hence 
Mary is called by St. Bonaventure, the wise Abigail : 
“Abigail sapiens.” This was the woman who, as we 
read in the first of Kings, knew so well how to appease 
King David, by her persuasive entreaties, when he was 
full of indignation against Nabal, that he himself 
blessed and thanked her for having, with her sweet 
words, prevented him from revenging himself upon 
Nabal with his own hands. J Precisely the same 
thing does Mary continually in heaven, in behalf of 
innumerable sinners : she knows so well how to ap- 
pease the divine justice with her tender and wise en- 
treaties, that God himself blesses her for it, and as it 
were thanks her, that thus she restrains him from 

* Tam prudens et diserta est advocata Maria, quod non potest 
filius vindicare in eos, pro quibus ipsa allegat. De Laud. v. 1. 

2, p. 2. 

f Salve jus dirimens lites. Ap. Pep. Lez. to. 5. 

% Benedicta tu, quae prohibuisti me hodie, ne ulciscerer me 
manu mea. C. xxv. 


GLORIES OF MART. 


221 


abandoning and punishing them as they deserve. For 
this end, says St. Bernard, the eternal Father, desi- 
rous to show all possible compassion towards us, be- 
sides Jesus Christ, our principal advocate with himself, 
has given us Mary for our advocate with Jesus 
Christ. 

There is no doubt, says St. Bernard, that Jesus is 
the only mediator of justice between men and God, 
who in virtue of his merits can, and according to his 
promises will, obtain for us pardon and divine grace ; 
but because men recognize and fear in Jesus Christ 
the divine majesty, which dwells in him as God, it 
was necessary that another advocate should be as- 
signed to us, to whom we could have recourse with 
less fear and more confidence ; and this is Mary, than 
whom we can find no advocate more powerful with 
the divine majesty and more compassionate towards 
us.* But he would greatly wrong the mercy of Mary, 
continues the saint, who should still fear to cast him- 
self at the feet of this most sweet advocate, who is in 
nothing severe or terrible, but is in all things kind, 
lovely, and compassionate, f Read 'and revolve as 
much as you will all the history found in the Gospels, 
and if you find any act of austerity in Mary, then fear. 

* Fidelis et potens mediator Dei et hominum ; sed divinam- 
reverentur in eo homines majestatem, opus est enim mediators 
ad mediatorem ipsum; nee alter nobis utilior quam Maria. 
Serm. in Sign. Magn. 

t Quid ad Mariam accedere trepidet humana fragilitas ? Nihil 
ousterum in ea, nihil terribile, tota suavis est. 

19 * 


222 


GLORIES OF MART. 


to approach her. But you will never find any ; go 
then joyfully to her, for she will save thee by her in- 
tercession.* 

Exceedingly beautiful is the exclamation which 
William of Paris puts in the mouth of a sinner who 
has recourse to Mary : Oh mother of my God, I come 
to thee full of confidence, even in the miserable state 
to which I find myself reduced by my sins ; if thou 
dost reject me, I will plead with thee, for in a certain 
sense thou art bound to help me, since all the Church 
of the faithful calls thee and proclaims thee mother of 
mercy.f Thou, oh Mary, art so dear to God that he 
always graciously listens to thee; thy great mercy 
has never failed; thy most sweet condescension has 
never despised any sinner, however enormous his sins, 
who has had recourse to thee.J What! could the 
whole Church falsely and in vain name thee her ad- 
vocate and the refuge of sinners ?§ No, never be 
it said that my sins prevent thee, oh my mother, 
from exercising the great office of mercy which thou 

* Revolve diligentius evangelicae liistoriae seriem universam, 
et si quid forte durum occurrerit in Maria, ad earn accedere ve- 
rearis. Serm. in Sign. Magn. 

+ AdTbo te imo etiam conveniam, gloriosissima Dei genitrix, 
quam matrem misericordias vocat, imo clamitat omnis ecclesia 
sanctorum. De Reth. Div. c. 18. 

% Tu, inquam, cujus gratiositas nunquam repulsam patitur, 
cujus misericordia nulli unquam defuit; cujus benignissima ku- 
manitas nullum unquam deprecantem quantumcumque pecca- 
torem despexit. 

§ An falso aut inaniter vocat te omnis Ecclesia advocatam 
suam, et miserorum refugium ? 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


223 


dost hold, by which thou art at the same time the ad- 
vocate and mediator of peace between God and man, 
and next to thy Son the only hope and secure refuge 
of sinners.* * * § Whatever of grace and glory is thine, 
even the dignity of being mother of God itself, if I 
may so speak, thou owest to sinners, since for their 
sake the divine Word has made thee his mother. f 
Far from this divine mother, who has brought forth 
mto the world the fountain of mercy, be the thought 
that she should refuse her compassion to any sinner 
who recommends himself to her.J Since, then, oh 
Mary, thy office is that of peacemaker between God 
and man, may thy great mercy, which far exceeds all 
my sins, move thee to aid me.§ 

Console yourselves, 'then, oh ye faint of heart, I will 
say with St. Thomas of Villanova, take heart, oh mis- 
erable sinners ; this great Virgin, who is the mother 
of your judge and God, is the advocate of the human 
race. Powerful and able to obtain whatever she 

* Absit, ut peccata mea possint suspendere te a tarn salubri 
officio pietatis ; quo et advocata es, et mediatrix hominum, post 
filium tuum spes unica et refugium tutissimum miserorum. 

f Totum siquidem quod babes gratiae, totum quod babes 
gloriae, et etiam boc ipsum quod mater es Dei, si fas est dicere, 
ob peccatores tibi collata sunt. 

X Absit boc a matre Dei, quae fontem pietatis toti mundo pe- 
perit, ut cuique miserorum suae misericordiae subventionem 
unquam deneget. 

§ Officium ergo tuum est te medium interponere inter ipsum 
et homines. Moveat te gloriosa Dei mater, benignissima mise- 
ricorclia tua, quae major est incogitabiliter omnibus vitiis meis 
et peccatis. D. c. 18, de Reth. Div. 


224 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


wishes from God; most wise, for she knows every 
method of appeasing him ; universal, for she welcomes 
all, and refuses to defend none.* 

EXAMPLE. 

Our advocate has shown how great is her kindness 
towards sinners by her mercy to Beatrice, a nun in 
the monastery of Fontebraldo, as related by Cesarius,f 
and by Father Rho.J This unhappy religious, having 
contracted a passion for a certain youth, agreed to flee 
with him from the convent ; and in fact she went one 
day before a statue of the blessed Virgin, there de- 
posited the keys of the monastery, for she was portress, 
and boldly departed. Arrived in another country, 
she led the miserable life of a prostitute for fifteen 
years. It happened that she met, one day, the agent 
of the monastery in the city where she was living, and 
asked of him, thinking he would not recognize her again, 
if he knew sister Beatrice ? “ I know her well,” he 

said : “ she is a holy nun, and at present is mistress of 
novices.” At this intelligence she was confounded 
and amazed, not knowing how to understand it. In 
order to ascertain the truth, she put on another dress 
and went to the monastery. She asked for sister 
Beatrice, and behold, the most holy Virgin appeared 
before her in the form of that same image to which 

* Consolaminipusillanimos; respirate miserabiles ; Virgo Dei- 
para est kumani generis advocata ; idonea, sapientissima, uni- 
versalis. In Eog. pro exp. adv. Turc. susc. 

t L. 7, c. 25. X In Ek. 


GLORIES OF MART. 


225 


at parting she had committed her keys and her dress, 
and the divine mother thus spoke to her : “ Beatrice, be 
it known to thee that, in order to prevent thy disgrace, 
I assumed thy form, and have filled thy office for the 
fifteen years that thou hast lived far from the mon- 
astery and from God. My child, return, and do pen- 
ance, for my Son is still waiting for thee ; and strive 
by thy holy life to preserve the good name I have 
gained thee.” She spoke thus and disappeared. 
Beatrice re-entered the monastery, resumed the habit 
of a religious, and, grateful for the mercy of Mary, led 
the life of a saint. At her death she made known the 
foregoing incident, to the glory of this great queen. 

PRAYER. 

Oh great mother of my Lord, I now see that the 
ingratitude shown by me for so many years to God 
and to thee, would justly merit that thou shouldst 
abandon all care of me, for the ungrateful are no more 
worthy of favors. But, oh Lady, I have a great idea 
of thy goodness ; I believe it to be far greater than 
my ingratitude ; continue, then, oh refuge of sinners, 
to help a miserable sinner who confides in thee. Oh 
mother of mercy, extend thy hand to raise a poor 
fallen creature who implores thy mercy. Oh Mary, 
defend thou me, or tell me to whom I shall have re- 
course, and who can protect me better than thou 
Can I find an advocate with God more merciful and 
more powerful than thou, who art his mother ? Thou 
having been created for the mother of the Saviour, 


226 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


art destined to save sinners, and hast been given me 
for my salvation. Oh Mary, save him who has re- 
course to thee. I do not merit thy love, but the de- 
sire thou hast to save the lost gives me the hope that 
thou dost love me ; and if thou lovest me, how can I be 
lost ? Oh my beloved mother, if, as I hope, I am 
saved by thee, I will no longer be ungrateful ; I will 
make amends by perpetual praises and by all the af- 
fection of my soul for my past ingratitude, and will 
make some return for the love thou bearest me. In 
heaven, where thou reignest and wilt reign forever, I 
will always joyfully sing thy mercies, and forever I 
will kiss those loving hands that have freed me from 
hell as often as I have deserved it for my sins. Oh 
Mary, my liberator, my hope, my queen, my advocate, 
my mother, I love thee, I wish thee well, and will 
always love thee. Amen, amen; thus I hope, so 
may it be. 


SECTION I II. 

MARY IS THE PEACE-MAKER BETWEEN SINNERS AND GOD. 

The grace of God is a treasure, very great and most 
earnestly to be desired by every soul. It is called by 
the Holy Spirit an infinite treasure, since by means of 
divine grace we are raised to the honor of being made 
the friends of God : “ She is an infinite treasure to men, 
which they that use become the friends of God.”* 

* Infinitus est thesaurus, quo qui usi sunt, participes facti 
sunt amicitiffi Dei. Sap. vii. 14. 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


227 


Whence it is that Jesus, our Redeemer and God, did 
not hesitate to call those who are in grace, his friends : 
You are my friends : “ Yos amici mei estis.”* * * § Oh ac- 
cursed sin, that loosens the ties of this blessed friend- 
ship : “ Your iniquities have divided between you and 
your God :”f for they make the soul hateful to God, 
and from a friend it becomes an enemy of the Lord : 
“To God the wicked and his wickedness are hateful 
alike. What, then, must a sinner do who finds him- 
self so unhappy as to have become an enemy of 
God? He must find a mediator who will obtain 
pardon for him and enable him to recover the lost 
friendship of God. Take courage, says St. Bernard, 
oh sinner, who hast lost God. Thy Lord himself 
hath given thee a mediator, even his Son Jesus 
Christ, who can obtain for thee whatever thou de- 
sirest.§ 

But oh God, the saint here exclaims, why do men 
esteem severe this most merciful Saviour, who hath 
given his fife for our salvation ? Why do they look 
upon him as terrible who is all loveliness ? Distrust- 
ful sinners, say, why do you fear ? If you fear because 
you have offended God, remember that Jesus with his 
own lacerated hands has nailed your sins to the cross, 

* Joan. xv. 14. 

t Iniquitates vestrse diviserunt inter vos et Deum vestrura I 
Is. lix. 2. 

X Odio sunt Deo impius et impietas ejus. Sap. xiv. 9. 

§ Jesum tibi dedit mediatorem ; quid non apud talem patrem 
filius talis obtineat. Serra. de Aqused. 


228 


GLORIES OF MART. 


and having satisfied the divine justice for them by his 
death, he has removed them from your soul.* * * § But if 
ever, adds the saint, you fear to have recourse to 
Jesus Christ because his divine majesty alarms you, 
since when he became man he did not cease to be 
God, if you ever wish for another advocate with this 
mediator, invoke Mary, for she will intercede for you 
with the Son, who will surely graciously listen to her, 
and the Son will intercede with the Father, who can 
refuse nothing to this Son.f And so, concludes St. 
Bernard, this divine mother, oh my children, is the 
ladder of sinners, by which they ascend anew to the 
height of divine grace. This is my greatest confi- 
dence — this is the whole ground of my hope.j; 

Let us hear what the Holy Spirit makes the blessed 
Virgin say in the sacred Canticles :§ I am, says Mary, 
the defence of those who have recourse to me, and 
my mercy is to them a tower of refuge ; for this I 
have been appointed by my Lord as a peacemaker 
between sinners and him. Cardinal Hugo, on the 


* Severum imaginantur, qui pius est, terribilem, qui amabilis 
est. Quid timetis modicse fidei ? Peccata affixit cruci suis man- 
ibus. 

t Sed forsitan et in ipso majestatem vereare divinam, quod 
licet factus sit homo, manserit tamen Deus. Advocatum ha- 
bere vis et apud ipsum ? recurre ad Mariam ; exaudiet ntique 
matrem filius, et exaudiet filium Pater. 

X Filioli, hsec peccatorum scala, hsec maxima mea fiducia est, 
hsec tota ratio spei mese. Cit. Serm. de Aquaed. 

§ Ego murus ; et ubera mea sicut turris, ex quo facta sum co- 
ram eo quasi pa'cem reperiens. Cant. c. viii. v. 10. 


GLORIES OF MART. 


229 


same text, says, that Mary is the great peacemaker 
who obtains from God, and gives jpeace to enemies, 
salvation to the lost, pardon to sinners, and mercy to 
the despairing.* For this reason she was called by her 
divine spouse : Beautiful as the curtains of Solomon : 
“Formosa sicut pelles Salomonis.”f In the tents of 
David there was nothing treated of but war, but in the 
tents of Solomon peace alone was spoken of. The Holy 
Spirit giving us to understand by this, that the mother 
of mercy does not treat of war and of vengeance 
against sinners, but only of peace and the pardon 
of their offences. 

Again, Mary was prefigured by Noe’s dove, who 
returned to the ark bearing in her beak the olive- 
branch, as a sign of the peace which God granted to 
men. Wherefore St. Bonaventure says: Thou art 
that most faithful dove, which, mediating with God, 
hath obtained for the world, which was lost, peace and 
salvation. Mary, then, was the heavenly dove who 
brought to the lost world the olive-branch, a sign of 
mercy ;J for she gave us Jesus Christ, who is the 
fountain of mercy, § and thus obtained, by the price 
of his merits, all the graces which God gives us. 

* Ipsa reperit pacem inimicis, salutem perditis, indulgentiam 
reis, misericordiam desperatis. 

t Cant. i. 4. 

% Tu enim es ilia fidelissima columba Noe, quae inter Deum 
et mundum diluvio spirituali submersum mediatrix fidelissima 
extitisti. 

§ Nam ipsa Christum nobis detulit fontem misericordiae. P. 
Spinell. 


20 


230 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


And as through Mary the world received celestial 
peace,* * * § as St. Epiphanius says, so by means of Mary 
sinners are constantly becoming reconciled to God. 
In the same way, the blessed Albertus Magnus says 
in her name : I am that dove of Noe, who brought to 
the Church universal peace.f 

Moreover, the rainbow seen by St. John, that sur- 
rounded the throne of God, was also an exact type of 
Mary.J According to the explanation of Cardinal 
Yitalis, Mary is always before the divine tribunal to 
mitigate the sentence and punishment due to the sin- 
ner^ And St. Bernardine of Sienna says, that it 
was of this rainbow that the Lord spoke, when he 
said to Noe that he would place in the clouds the 
bow of peace, that when he should see it he might 
remember the eternal covenant that he had estab- 
lished with men. || And Mary, says St. Bernardine, 
is that very bow of eternal peace.*]" For as God, at 
the sight of the bow, remembers the peace promised 
to the earth, thus,, at the prayers of Mary, he pardons 


* Per te pax coelestis donata est. 

+ Ego sum columba Noe, Ecclesise ramum olivae et pacis in- 
ferens universalis. In Bibl. Mar. lib. Cant. n. 16. 

X Et Iris erat in circuitu sedis. Apoc. c. iv. 3. 

§ Iris in circuitu sedis est Maria, quae mitigat Dei judicium 
et sententiam contra peccatores. In Spec. S. Script. 

1 Arcum meum ponam in nubibus, et erit signurn foederis 
inter me et terram . . . Videbo ilium, et recordabor foederis sein- 
piterni. Gen. ix. 13. 

IT Ipsa est arcus foederis sempiterni. Serm. 1, do No. Mar. 
Art. 1, c. 3. 


GLORIES OF MART. 


231 


sinners the offences committed against him, and es- 
tablishes peace with them.* 

For the same reason Mary is also compared to the 
moon.f For, St. Bonaventure says, as the moon is in 
the midst between heaven and earth, so she continu- 
ally interposes between God and sinners, that she may 
appease the Lord towards them, and enlighten them 
on their return to God.J 

And this was the most important office given to 
Mary when she was placed upon the earth — of lifting 
the souls fallen from divine grace, and reconciling 
them to God. Feed thy kids : “ Pasce haedos tuos.”§ 
This was said to her by the Lord when he created her. 
It is well known that sinners are represented by goats ; 
and as the elect, represented by sheep, will be placed 
on the right hand in the valley of judgment, the goats 
will be placed on the left. Now these goats, says 
William of Paris, are committed to thee, oh great 
mother, that thou mayest change them into sheep, 
and that those who, by then* sins, have merited to be 
banished to the left, by thy intercession may be placed 
on the right. || Hence the Lord revealed to St. Cathe* 

* Fructus iridis est recordatio divini foederis ; sic per vergi- 
nem gloriosam offensa eis remittitur, foedus stringitur. Serm. 
in Apoc. c. 41. 

f Pulchra ut Luna. Cant. vi. 9. 

X Sicut Luna est media inter corpora coelestia et terrena, et 
quod ab illis accipit ad inferiora refundit ; sic et virgo regia inter 
nos et Deum est media, et gratiam ipsa nobis refundit. Serm. 
14, de Nat. Dom. § Cant. i. 8. 

| Fasce haedos tuos, quos convertis in oves, et qni a sinistris 


232 GLORIES OF MART. 

rine of Sienna that he had created this his beloved 
child as a sweet bait, that would draw men, and es- 
pecially sinners, to God.* And here we should note 
the beautiful reflection of William, the Englishman, on 
the passage above cited, who says, that God recom- 
mends to Mary her own goats, “ haedos tuos be- 
cause the Virgin does not save all sinners, but only 
those who serve and honor her. Those, on the con- 
trary, who live in sin, and do not honor her with any 
special devotion, neither recommend themselves to 
her in order to escape from their sins, are not the 
goats of Mary, but in the judgment will be placed 
miserably on the left among the damned.f 

A certain nobleman who was despairing of his eternal 
salvation on account of his sins, was encouraged by a 
religious to have recourse to the most holy Virgin, by 
visiting her sacred image which was in a certain 
church. The nobleman went to the church, and on 
seeing the figure of Mary he felt himself, as it were, 
invited by her to cast himself at her feet and trust. 
He hastens to do so, kisses her feet, and Mary, from 

in judicio erant collocandi, tua intercessiono collocantur a dex- 
tris. 

* Hsec est a me electa tanquam esca dulcissima ad capiendos 
homines, potissimum peccatores. Ap. Bios. Monil. Spir. 

f Suos vocat quia non omnes lisedi vocantur Marise, sed qui 
Mariam colunt ac venerantur, licet sceleribus contaminati. Qui 
vcro peccatis irretiti sunt, nec B. Virginem speciali obsequio 
pxosequuntur, nec preces fundunt in ejus cultum, ut aliquando 
resipiscant, hsedi profecto sunt non Marise, sed ad sinistranc 
judicis sistendi. 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


233 


that statue, extended her hand for him to kiss, and on 
it he saw these words written : “ I will deliver thee 
from them that afflict thee.”* As if she had said to 
him : My son, do not despair, for I will deliver thee 
from thy sins, and from the fears that oppress thee. 
It is related that on reading these sweet words, that 
sinner felt such sorrow for his sins, and conceived such 
a love for God, and for his sweet mother, that he died 
there at the feet of Mary. Oh, how many obstinate 
sinners does this magnet of hearts draw daily to God, 
as she herself said to St. Bridget : “ As the magnet 
attracts to itself iron, thus I draw to myself the most 
obdurate hearts, that I may reconcile them to God ;”f 
and this prodigy is not rarely, but daily experienced. 
I could myself testify to many cases that have oc- 
curred in our missions alone, where sinners who have 
remained harder than iron during all other sermons, 
while hearing that on the mercy of Mary, were touched 
with compunction, and turned to God. St. Gregory 
relates that the unicorn is so ferocious a wild beast, 
that no hunter can succeed in taking it; but at the 
voice of a maiden who calls upon him to surrender, 
he draws near, and without resistance allows himself to 
be bound by her. Oh, how many sinners, more fierce 
than wild beasts, who flee from God, at the sound of 
the voice of this great Virgin Mary, advance and allow 
themselves to be gently bound by her to God ! 

* Ego eripiam te de affligentibus te. 

f Sicut magnes attrab.it ferrum, sic ego attrabo dura corda. 
L. 3, Rev. c. 82. 


20 * 


234 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


For this end, says St. John Chrysostom, the Virgin 
Mary was made mother of God, that those sinners 
who, by reason of their wicked life, could not be 
saved according to the divine justice, might obtain 
salvation through her sweet compassion and powerful 
intercession.* * * § ' St. Anselm confirms this when he 
says that Mary has been exalted to be mother of 
God for sinners rather than for the just, since Jesus 
Christ announced that he came not to call the just, 
but sinners.f And so the holy Church sings : “ Sin- 
ners thou dost not abhor, since but for them thou 
never wouldst have been worthy of such a Son.”J; 
William of Paris also says: Oh Mary, thou art 
obliged to help sinners, since for all the gifts, graces, 
and honors thou dost possess, which are comprehended 
in the dignity thou hast received of being the mother 
of God, for all, if I may so speak, thou art indebted 
to sinners, since for their sakes thou wert made worthy 
to have a God for thy Son.§ If, then, concludes St. 
Anselm, Mary, for the sake of sinners, has been made 


* Ideo mater Dei pros electa es ab etemo ; ut quos justitia 
filii salvare non potest, tu per tuam salvares pietatem. Horn, 
de Prses. B. V. 

t Scio illam magis propter peccatores, quam propter justos, 
factam esse Dei matrem; dixit enim ejus bonus filius se non 
venisse vocare justos, sed peccatores. 

X Peccatores non abliorres, sine quibus nunquam fores tanto 
digna filio: 

§ Totum quod habes, si fas est dicere, peccatoribus debes ; 
omnia enim propter peccatores tibi collata sunt. De Retb. 
Div. c. 18. 


G-LORIES OF MARY. 


235 


mother of God, how can I, however great may be my 
sins, despair of pardon ?* * * § 

The holy Church teaches us, in the Collect of the 
Mass for the Vigil of the Assumption, that the divine 
mother has been removed from this earth, that she 
might intercede for us with God, in sure confidence of 
being graciously heard.f Hence Mary is named by 
St. Justinian, Arbitress: “Sequestra,” The Word 
employed Mary as arbitress. J Sequester signifies the 
same as arbiter, one to whom two contending parties 
refer all their questions ; so that the saint means to say, 
that as Jesus is mediator with the eternal Father, 
so Mary is our mediatrix with Jesus, to whom the 
Son refers all the charges which, as judge, he has 
against us. 

Mary is called by St. Andrew of Crete, the con- 
fidence and security of our reconciliation with God.§ 
And by this the saint intends to say, that God seeks 
a reconciliation with sinners by pardoning them, and 
that they may not despair of pardon, he has given them 
Mary as a pledge of it ; hence he salutes her : Hail, 
oh peace of God with men: “Salve divina homin- 
ibus reconciliatio.” Wherefore St. Bonaventure says, 

* Si ipsa propter peccatores facta est Dei mater, quomodo 
immanitas peccatorum meorum cogere poterit desperare veniam ? 
De Exc. v. c. 1. 

t Quam ideirco de hoc sseculo transtnlit, ut apud te pro 
peccatis nostris fiducialiter intercedat. 

X Verbum usum est Virgine sequestra. 

§ Divinarum reconciliationum, quas pignore accepto fit, Fide- 
jussio. Or. 2, de Aff. 


236 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


encouraging every sinner : If thou fearest, on account 
of thy sins, that an angry God may wish to avenge 
himself upon thee, what art thou to do ? Go to the 
hope of sinners, namely, Mary ; and if thou fearest 
that she will refuse to take thy part, know that 
she cannot refuse to defend thy cause, for God him- 
self has assigned her the office of relieving the 
wretched.* * * § 

And what does the Abbot Adam say ? Should a 
sinner fear being lost, to whom the mother of his 
judge offers herself as his mother and advocate ?f 
And then the same writer adds : Oh Mary ! who art 
mother of mercy, couldst thou refuse to pray thy Son, 
who is judge, for another son, who is the criminal ? 
Canst thou refuse to intercede in behalf of a redeemed 
soul with the Redeemer, who, for no other end than 
to save sinners, died on the cross ?| No, thou wilt 
not refuse, but earnestly wilt employ thyself in pray- 
ing for all those who invoke thee, well knowing that 
the same Lord who hath constituted thy Son media- 
tor of peace between God and man, has at the same 
time made thee mediatrix between the Judge and the 
criminal.§ Here St. Bernard takes up the subject, 

* Si propter tuas nequitias Dominum videris indignatum, 
ad spern peccatorum confugia.3 ; sibi pro miseris satisfacere ex 
officio commissum est. 

f Timere ne debet ut pereat, cui Maria se matrem exhibet, 
et advocatam. 

X Tu misericordite mater non rogabis pro ffiio ffiium, pro re- 
dempto, redemptorem ? 

§ Rogabis plane quia qui ffiium tuum inter Deum et homi- 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


237 


and says : Give then thanks to him who has provided 
thee with such a mediatrix.* Whoever thou art, oh 
sinner, plunged in the mire of guilt, hoary in sin, do 
not despair ; thank thy Lord, who, in order to show 
mercy to thee, has not only given thee his Son for an 
advocate, but, to increase thy confidence and courage, 
has provided thee with such a mediatrix, who, by her 
prayers, obtains whatever she wishes. Have recourse 
to Mary, and thou wilt be saved. 

EXAMPLE. 

It is related by Rupensis,f and by Boniface, J that 
in Florence there lived a young girl, named Benedetta 
(the blessed), although she might better have been 
called Maladetta (the cursed), from the scandalous and 
wicked life she led. Happily for her, St. Dominic 
happened to preach in that city, and she, from mere 
curiosity, went one day to hear him. But the Lord 
touched her heart during the sermon, so that, weeping 
bitterly, she went to make her confession to the saint. 
St. Dominic heard her confession, gave her absolution, 
and directed her to say the rosary. But the unhappy 
girl, by the force of her evil habits, returned to her 
wicked life. The saint heard of it, and going to her, 


nem posuit mediatorem, te quoque inter reum, et judicem po- 
suit adjutricem. 

* Age gratias ei, qui talem tibi mediatricem providit. Serm. 
in Sign. Magn. 
t Eos. Sacr. p. 5, c. 60. 

X Stor. Virg. 1. 1, c. 11. 


238 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


induced her to confess once more. God, in order to 
confirm her in her good life, one day showed hell to 
her, and some persons there who had been already 
condemned on her account? Then opening a book, he 
made her read in it the frightful record of her sins. 
The penitent shuddered at the sight, and, full of con- 
fidence, had recourse to Mary, asked her help, and 
learned that this divine mother had already obtained 
from God for her, time enough to mourn for her 
numerous sins. The vision disappeared, and Benedetta 
devoted herself to a good life ; but seeing always open 
before her eyes that dark catalogue, she one day 
prayed in these words to her consoler : “Oh mother, it 
is true that for my sins I should now be deep in hell ; 
but since thou, by thy intercession, hast liberated me 
from it, by obtaining for me time for repentance, most 
merciful Lady, I ask of thee one other favor. I will 
never cease to weep for my sins ; but do thou obtain 
for me that they may be cancelled from that book.” 
After this prayer, Mary appeared to her, and told her 
that in order to obtain what she asked, she must pre- 
serve an eternal remembrance of her sins, and of the 
mercy of God towards her ; and still more, that she 
must meditate on the passion of her Son, which he 
suffered for love of her ; and also that she must bear 
in mind that many had been damned who had com- 
mitted fewer sins than she had done. She also re- 
vealed to her that a child of only eight years of age, 
for one mortal sin only, had been that day condenmed 
to hell. Benedetta having faithfully obeyed the most 


GLORIES OF MAET. 


239 


holy Virgin, one day beheld Jesus Christ, who showed 
her that book, and said to her : Behold, thy sins are 
cancelled ; the book is white, inscribe on it now acts 
of love and of virtue. Benedetta did this, led a holy 
life, and died a holy death. 

PRAYER. 

Then, oh my most sweet Lady, if thy office is, as 
William of Paris says, to interpose as a mediatrix be- 
tween the sinner and God,* I will say to thee with 
St. Thomas of Villanova : Ah, then, oh our advocate, 
fulfil thy office.f F ulfil at once thy office also in my 
behalf. Do not tell me that my cause is too difficult 
to be gained; for I know, and all tell me, that no 
cause, however desperate, if defended by thee, was 
ever lost ; and will mine be lost? No, I fear not this. 
I have only to fear, when I behold the multitude of 
my sins, that thou wilt not undertake my defence; 
but considering thy vast compassion and the great 
desire that fills thy most loving heart to help the 
vilest sinners, I no longer fear even this. And who 
was ever lost that had recourse to thee ? I invoke, 
then, thy aid, oh my great advocate, my refuge, my 
hope, and my mother Mary. To thy hands I commit 
the cause of my eternal salvation. To thee I consign 
my soul ; it was lost, but thou must save it. I always 
thank the Lord that he gives me this great confidence 

* Officium tuum est, te mediam interponere inter Deum et 
homines. 

f Eja ergo advocata nostra officium tuum imple. 


240 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


in thee, which, notwithstanding my unworthiness, I 
believe will secure my salvation. One fear alone re- 
mains to afflict me, my beloved queen : it is, that I may 
one day lose, through my neglect, this confidence in 
thee. Therefore I pray thee, oh Mary, by all thy love 
for thy Jesus, to preserve and increase more and more 
in me this most sweet confidence in thy intercession, 
by which I certainly hope to recover the divine friend- 
ship, which I have hitherto so foolishly despised and 
lost; and once having recovered it, I hope by thy 
means to preserve it ; and preserving it, I hope finally 
through thee to go one day and thank thee for it in 
paradise, and there to sing the mercies of God and 
thine through all eternity. Amen. Thus I hope, 
so may it be, and so it shall be / 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


241 


CHAPTER VII. 

ILLOS TUOS MISERICORDES OCULOS AD NOS CONVERTE. 
Turn thy eyes of mercy towards us. 


SECTION I. 

MARY IS ALL EYES TO PITY AND RELIEVE OUR MISERIES. 

St. Epiphanius calls the blessed Virgin, “ Multocu- 
lam that is, one who has many eyes, that she may 
relieve our miseries on this earth. One day, when a 
person possessed was being exorcised, the devil was 
asked by the exorcist what Mary was then doing. 
The Evil One replied : “ She is descending and ascend- 
ing by which he intended to say, that this gracious 
Lady does nothing else than descend upon the earth 
to bring graces to men, and ascend to heaven to ob- 
tain there the divine blessing on our supplications. 
Rightly, then, was the holy Virgin named by St. 
Andrew of Avellino, the active power of paradise ; for 
she is continually employed in deeds of mercy, im- 
ploring favors for all, for the just and for sinners. 
“The eyes of the Lord are upon the just,” says 
David ;f but the eyes of our Lady are upon the just 

* Ap. il P. Pep. to. 5, Lee. 235. 

+ Oculi Domini super justos. Ps. xxxiii. 10. 

21 


242 


GLORIES OF MART. 


and upon sinners,* as Richard of St. Laurence says ; 
for he adds : The eyes of Mary are the eyes of a 
mother; and the mother not only guards her child 
from falling, but if he falls, she hastens to raise him.f 

Jesus himself revealed this to St. Bridget, whom 
the saint heard one day speaking to his mother, and 
saying : “ Ask of me, oh my mother, whatever thou 
dost desire ;”J and the Son is always in heaven say- 
ing this to Mary, pleased with granting his beloved 
mother whatever she asks. But what does Mary ask ? 
St. Bridget understood the mother to answer him : I 
ask mercy for sinners : “ Misericordiam peto pro mi- 
seris.”§ As if she would say, my Son, thou has* 
already destined me for the mother of mercy, for the 
refuge of sinners, for the advocate of the miserable, 
now thou sayest to me that I may ask whatever I 
wish ; but what would I ask of thee ? I ask of thee 
that thou wilt have mercy on the sinner : “ Misericor- 
diam peto pro miseris.” Thou art, oh Mary, so full 
of compassion, St. Bonaventure tenderly says to her, 
thou art so watchful to relieve the wretched, that it 
seems thou hast no other desire, no other concern 
than this. || And because, among the wretched, sin- 
ners are the most wretched of all, the venerable Bede 

* Sed oculi Dominse super justos et peccatores. 

t Sicut oculi matris ad puerum ne cadat, vel si ceciderit, ut 
eum sublevet. 

X Mater pete quod vis a me. 

§ Rev. 1. 1. c. 46. 

|| Undique sollicita es de miseris, misericordia vallaris, solum 
misereri videris appetere. Sup. Salve Reg. 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


243 


affirms, that Mary is continually praying the Son in 
behalf of sinners.* * * § 

Even whilst on earth Mary was so kind and tender 
to men that, as St. Jerome says, there never was any 
person so afflicted by his own sufferings as Mary by 
the sufferings of others.f She plainly showed the 
compassion she feels for the sufferings of others at 
the nuptials of Cana (as lias been mentioned in pre- 
vious chapters), where, when the wine failed, without 
being requested, as St. Bernardine of Sienna remarks, 
she assumed the office of a kind comforter. J And from 
mere compassion for the troubles of that family, she 
interceded with her Son, and obtained the miracle 
of changing the water into wine. 

But, perhaps, says St. Peter Damian, since thou 
wast exalted to the dignity of queen of heaven, thou 
hast forgotten the wretched ; and then he adds, let 
this never be thought of — it does not belong to a 
mercy so great as that which reigns in the heart of 
Mary, to forget such misery as ours.§ The common 
proverb, honors change customs, “ Honores mutant 
mores,” certainly does not apply to Mary. It, indeed, 
applies to worldlings who, when raised to any dignity, 

* Stat Maria in conspectu filii sui non cessans pro peccatoribus 
exorare. In cap. i. Luc. 

f Nullum in bac vita adeo poense torserunt proprise sicut Ma- 
riam alienee. Epist. ad Eust. 

X Officium pise auxiliatricis assumpsit non rogata. 

§ Nunquid, 0 Beata Virgo, quia ita glorificata es, ideo nos- 
trse humilitatis oblita es? Absit, non convenit tantse miseri- 
cordiae, tantse miserice oblivisci. Serm. 1, de Nat. Virg. 


244 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


become inflated with pride, and forget their old and 
poor friends : but not to Mary, who rejoices in her 
greater exaltation, because it gives her more power to 
assist others. Considering this point, St. Bonaventure 
applies to the blessed Virgin the words spoken to 
Ruth : “ Blessed art thou, my daughter, and thy latter 
kindness has surpassed the former.”* Meaning, as he 
afterwards explains, that if the pity of Mary for the 
unhappy was great when she lived on earth, much 
greater is it now when she is reigning *in heaven. f 
The saint gives the reason for this by saying, that the 
divine mother shows now, by the innumerable favors 
she obtains for us, this her increased compassion, 
because now she better understands our miseries.^ 
And he adds, that as the splendor of the sun ex- 
ceeds that of the moon, so the mercy of Mary, now that 
she is in heaven, exceeds the mercy she had for us when 
she was upon the earth.§ And is there any one living 
on the earth who does not enjoy the light of the sun ? — 
any one on whom this mercy of Mary does not shine ?|| 

* Benedicta filia priorem miserieordiam posteriore superasti. 
Rutli iii. 10. 

f Magna fuit erga miseros misericordia Marise adhuc exu- 
lantis mundo, sed multo major est regnantis in coelo. In Spec. 
B. V. c. 8. 

% Majorem per innumerabilia beneficia nunc ostendit miseri- 
cordiam, quia magis nunc videt hominum miserias. 

§ Nam quemadmodum sol lunam superat magnitudine splen- 
doris, sic priorem Mari® miserieordiam superat magnitudo 
superioris. 

| Quis est super quem misericordia Marise non resplendet ? 
Loc. cit. 


GLORIES OF MART. 


245 


On this account she is called bright as the sun, 
“ Electa ut sol because no one is shut out from the 
heat of this sun,f as St. Bonaventure says. And St. 
Agnes revealed this from heaven to St. Bridget, when 
she said to her, that our queen, now that she is united 
with her Son in heaven, cannot forget her innate good- 
ness ; hence she exercises her compassion towards all, 
even towards the most jmpious sinners, so that as both 
the celestial and terrestrial bodies are illuminated by 
the sun, thus through the goodness of Mary, there is 
no one in the world who does not, if he asks for it, 
share in the divine mercy .J A great and desperate 
sinner, in the kingdom of Valencia, in order to escape 
justice, had resolved to become a Turk, and was ac- 
tually going to embark, when by chance he passed a 
church, in which Father Jerome Lopez, of the Com- 
pany of Jesus, was preaching, and preaching of the 
divine mercy; by that preaching he was converted, 
and confessed to the father, who inquired of him if 
he had practised any devotion, for which God had 
shown towards him that great mercy; he answered 
that he had practised no other devotion than praying 
the holy Virgin every day not to abandon him.§ The 

* Cant. vi. 9. 

f Non est qui se abscondat a calore ejus. 

% Nunc autem conjuncta filio non obliviscitur innatse boni- 
tatis suae, sed ad omnes extendit miserieordiam suam, etiarn ad 
pessimos ; ut sicut sole illuminantur coelestia et terrestria, sic 
ex dulcedine Marias nullus est qui non per earn, si petitur, senti- 
at pietatem. L. 3, Rev. c. 30. 

§ Patrign. Men. 2, Feb. 


21 * 


246 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


same Father found in the hospital a sinner, who for fifty- 
five years had never been to confession, and had only 
practised this little devotion, that when he saw an 
image of Mary he saluted it, and prayed to her that 
he might not die in mortal sin ; and then he related 
that in a quarrel with an enemy, his sword was broken, 
and he turned to the Madonna saying : “ Alas, I shall 
be slain, and damned; oh mother of sinners, help me.” 
When he had said this, he found himself, he knew 
not how, transported , into a secure place. He made 
a general confession, and died full of confidence.* 

St. Bernard writes that Mary becomes all things to 
all men, and opens to all the bowels of her mercy, 
that all may receive of her ; the captive his freedom ; 
the sick man health; the afflicted consolation; the 
sinner pardon, and God glory : hence there is no one, 
since she is the sun, who does not partake of her 
warmth. f And is there any one in the world, ex- 
claims St. Bonaventure, who will not love this lovely 
queen? She is more beautiful than the sun, and 
sweeter than honey; she is a treasure of goodness, 
and is kind and courteous to all.J I salute thee, then, 
thus the enamored saint goes on to say, oh my Lady 

* Patr. Men. 2, Feb. 

t Maria omnia omnibus facta est; omnibus misericordiae 
sinum aperit, ut de plenitudine ejus accipiant omnes, captivus, 
redemptionem, aeger curationem, tristis consolationem, pecca- 
tor veniam ; ut non sit qui se abscondat a calore ejus. In Sig. 
Mag. 

X Quis te non diliget, 0 Mafia, pulchriorem sole, dulciorem 
melle, omnibus amabilis, omnibus affabilis ? 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


247 


and mother ! my heart ! my soul ! Pardon me, oh 
Mary, if I say that I love thee : if I am not worthy 
of loving thee, thou art truly worthy of being loved 
by me.* * * § 

It was revealed to St. Gertrude, f that when any 
one repeats with devotion these words to the Virgin : 
"‘ Turn, then, towards us, oh our advocate, thy pitying 
eyes,”J Mary never fails to listen to the prayer. Oh, 
let the immensity of thy mercy, oh great Lady, fill the 
whole earth, exclaims St. Bernard.§ Whence St. 
Bonaventure says, that this loving mother has such a 
desire to do good to all, that she feels herself offended 
not only by those who offer her some positive injury, 
for there are souls to be found so perverse, especially 
gamesters, who sometimes, to vent their anger, blas- 
pheme and insult this good Lady, but she looks upon 
herself as injured by those, also, who neglect to 
ask of her some favor. || So that, as St. Idelbert 
says, thou dost instruct us, oh Lady, to expect 
favors greater than our merits, for thou dost never 


* Ave ergo, Domina mea, mater mea ; imo cor meum, anima 
mea, parce mihi, Domina, si me amare te dicam ; si ego non 
sum dignus te amare, tu non es digna amari a me. 'Stim. p. 5, 
c. 19. 

t Rev. 1. 4, c. 53. 

X Eja ergo ; advocata nostra, illos tuos misericordes ocules ad 
nos converte. 

§ Latitudo misericordiae tuse replet orbem terrarum. Serna. 
4, Sup. Miss. 

|| In te, Domina, peccant, non solum qui tibi injuriam irro- 
gant, sed etiam qui te non rogant. In Spec. Virg. 


248 


GLORIES OF MART. 


cease to dispense graces that far exceed what we 
merit.* 

The prophet Isaias predicted that by the great 
work of human redemption, a great throne of divine 
mercy would be prepared for us : “A throne shall be 
prepared in mercy. ”f Who is this throne ? St. Bo- 
naventure answers : This throne is Mary, in whom all, 
both the just and sinners, find the consolations of 
mercy \\ and he afterwards adds : As the Lord is full 
of compassion, so also is our Lady ; and as the Son, so 
the mother cannot withhold her mercy from those 
who ask it.§ Hence Guerric, the abbot, represents 
Jesus thus speaking to Mary : My mother, upon thee 
I will establish the seat of my kingdom, for through 
thee will I bestow the graces that are asked of me : 
thou hast given me the human nature ; I will give to 
thee, as it were, a divine nature, that is, my omnipo- 
tence, by which thou canst assist all who invoke thee 
to obtain their salvation. || 

When St. Gertrude was one day devoutly repeating 

* Doce nos sperare majora meritis, quae mentis majora largjri 
non desinis. 

+ Praeparabitur in misericordia solium ejus. Isa. xvi. 5. 

X Solium divinae misericordiae est Maria, in qua omnes inveni- 
unt solatia misericordiae. Spec. c. 8. 

§ Nam sicut misericordiosissimum Dominum, ita misericor- 
diosissimam Dominam habemus. Dominus noster multae mise- 
ricordiae invocantibus se ; et Domina nostra multae misericordiae 
invocantibus se. 

| In te mihi regni sedem constituam, per te preces exaudiam. 
Communicasti mihi quod homo sum, communicabo tibi quod 
Deus sum. Serm. 2, de Ass. 


249 


GLORIES OF MARY. 

these words to the divine mother : “ Turn towards us 
thy merciful eyes,” she saw the Virgin pointing to the 
eyes of her Son whom she held in her arms, and she 
said to her : “ These are the most merciful eyes that I 
can turn towards all those who invoke me for their sal- 
vation.”* A sinner once weeping before the altar of 
Mary, and imploring her to intercede with God for 
his pardon, was given to understand that the blessed 
Virgin turned to the child whom she held in her arms, 
and said to him : “ My son, shall these tears be in 
vain ?”f and he learned that Jesus Christ at once par- 
doned him. 

And how can any one ever perish who recommends 
himself to this good mother, when the Son, as God, 
has promised, for love of her, to exercise mercy, as far 
as it pleases her, towards all those that have recourse 
to her ? Precisely this our Lord revealed to St. Brid- 
get; permitting her to hear these words which he 
spoke to Mary: “ By my omnipotence, venerated 
mother, I have granted thee the pardon of all sinners, 
in whatever way it pleases thee, who devoutly invoke 
the aid of thy mercy.”]; Hence the Abbot Adam 
Persenius, considering the great compassion that Mary 
has for all, full of confidence says to her : Oh mother 

* Hi sunt misericordiosissimi oculi mei, quos ad omnes me 
invocantes possum salubriter inclinare. Rev. 1. 4, c. 53. 

f Fili, et istae lacrimas peribunt ? 

X Ex omnipotentia mea, mater reverenda, tibi concessi propi- 
tiationem omnium peccatorum, qui devote invocant tuae pieta- 
tis auxilium, qualicunque modo placeat tibi. 


250 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


of mercy, tliy power is as great as thy pity. As thou 
art powerful to obtain, so thou art merciful to par- 
don.* * * § And when, he adds, dost thou ever fail to 
have compassion on sinners, being the mother of 
mercy ; or art thou unable to help them, being mother 
of omnipotence? Ah, thou canst as readily obtain 
whatever thou wilt, as thou canst listen to our woes.f 
Satiate thyself, then, says the Abbot Rupert, satiate 
thyself, oh great queen, with the glory of thy Son, and 
through thy compassion, not certainly through our 
merit, be pleased to send down to us, thy poor ser- 
vants here below, whatever fragments may remain.]; 

If our sins ever throw us into despair, let us say 
with William of Paris : Oh Lady, do not bring for- 
ward my sins against me, for I shall bring forward thy 
mercy in opposition to them. And let it never be 
said that my sins can rival, in the judgment, thy 
mercy, which is more powerful to obtain my pardon, 
than my sins are to obtain my condemnation^ 

* Mater misericordiae, tanta est pietas tua, quanta potestas ; 
tam pia es ad parcendum, quam potens ad impetrandum. 

t Quando non compatieris miseris, mater misericordiae ? Aut 
quando illi opem conferre non poteris, cum sis mater omnipoten- 
tiae ? Eadem facilitate obtinens quodcumque vis ; qua facilitate 
nostra innotescit miseria. Ap. P. Pep. 

X 0 mater misericordiae, saturare gloria filii tui, et dimitte re- 
liquias tuas parvulis tuis. In Cant. lib. 5. 

§ Ne alligaveris peccata mea contra me, qui misericordiam 
tuam allego contra ea. Absit, ut stent in judicio peccata mea 
contra misericordiam tuam, quae omnibus vitiis fortior est. De. 
Eetb. Div. c. 18. 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


251 


EX AMP LE. 

We read in the chronicles of the Capuchin Fathers,* 
that there lived in Venice a celebrated advocate, who, 
by fraud and evil practices, had become rich. His 
whole life was very bad, and it appears that he had but 
one good habit, that of reciting every day a certain 
prayer to the holy Virgin. Yet, even this little devotion 
saved him from eternal death, through the mercy of 
Mary. It happened in this way : Happily for himself, 
he had a great esteem for Father Matthew da Basso, and 
urged him so much to come and dine at his house, that 
one day the F ather gave him this pleasure. Having ar- 
rived, the advocate said to him : “ Now, Father, I will 
show you something that you have never seen. I have 
a wonderful ape, who is my valet, washes my glasses, 
lays the table, and opens the door.” “ This may not be 
an ape,” answered the Father : “ it may be something 
more than an ape ; order him to come here.” The 
ape was called again and again, search was made for 
him everywhere, and he could not be found. At length, 
he was discovered hidden under a bed in the lower 
part of the house, but he would not come out. “ Come, 
then,” said the religious, tc let us go and see him :” and 
he went with the advocate to his hiding-place. “ In- 
fernal beast,” he said, “ come forth, and in the name 
of God I command you to tell me what you are.” 
And behold, the ape answered that he was the devil, 


* C. ll, p. 1. 


252 GLORIES OF MARY. 

and that he was waiting until that sinner should omit 
some day to recite his accustomed prayer to the 
mother of God ; for the first time he should omit it, 
God had given him leave to strangle him, and take 
him to hell. At these words the advocate cast him- 
self upon his knees to ask help of the servant of God, 
who encouraged him, and commanded the devil to 
depart from that house without committing any in- 
jury, only he gave him permission, as a sign that he 
had really gone, to break a piece of the wall. Scarcely 
had he finished speaking, when, with a great crash, a 
hole was made in the wall, which, although it was 
several times closed with stone and mortar, God willed 
that it should remain open for a long time ; until, by the 
advice of the servant of God, it was filled up with a 
slab of marble, with an angel carved on it. The advo- 
cate was converted, and, it is to be hoped, persevered 
until death in his new course of life. 

PRAYER. 

Oh creature, among all others the greatest and 
most sublime, most holy Virgin, I from this earth sa- 
lute thee ; I, a miserable, unhappy rebel to my God, 
who deserve punishment and not favors, justice and 
not mercy. Oh Lady, I do not say this because I 
distrust thy mercy. I know that thou dost glory in 
being merciful as thou art great. I know that thou 
dost rejoice in being so rich, that thou mayest share 
thy riches with us sinners. I know that the more 
wretched are those who seek thee, the greater is thy 


GLORIES OF MARY. 253 

desire to help and save them. Oh my mother, it is 
thou who once did weep for thy Son when he died 
for me. Offer, I pray thee, thy tears to God, and 
with these obtain for me a true sorrow for my sins. 
So much did sinners grieve thee, then, and so much 
did I, too, grieve thee by my iniquities. Obtain for 
me, oh Mary, that I at least from henceforth may no 
longer continue to afflict thee and thy Son by my in- 
gratitude. What will thy tears avail me if I should 
continue to be ungrateful to thee ? What would thy 
mercy avail me if I should again be faithless and be 
lost ? No, my queen, do not permit it. Thou hast 
supplied all my deficiencies ; thou canst obtain from 
God whatever thou wilt; thou graciously hearest 
every one that prays to thee. These two favors do I 
ask of thee, and at all events from thee do I hope and 
desire them : namely, that thou wilt obtain for me to 
be faithful to God by never more offending him, and 
to love him as much as I have offended him during 
the life that remains to me. 

22 


254 


GLORIES OF MART. 


CHAPTER VIII. 

ET JESUM BENEDICTUM FRUCTUM YENTRIS TUI NOBIS 
POST HOC EXILIUM OSTENDE. 

And after this our exile, show us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus 


SECTION I. 

MARY RESCUES HER SERVANTS FROM HELL. 

It is impossible that a servant of Mary who faith- 
fully honors her and recommends himself to her should 
he lost. This proposition at first sight may appear to 
some persons extravagant. But I would beg them 
not to condemn it before reading what will hereafter 
be said on this point. When it is said that a devoted 
servant of Mary cannot be lost, those servants are not 
intended who abuse their devotion by sinning with less 
fear. Therefore it is unjust to say, as some do who 
disapprove extolling the mercy of Mary to sinners, 
that by so doing they are encouraged to sin the more ; 
for such presumptuous persons for their presumption 
merit punishment and not mercy. It is understood, 
then only of those of her servants who, with the de- 
sire to amend, faithfully honor and commend them- 
selves to the mother of God. That these should be 
lost is, I say, morally impossible. And I find Father 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


255 


Crasset has affirmed the same thing in his book upon 
devotion to Mary ;* * * § and before him Vega,f Mendoza,]; 
and other theologians. And that we may know that 
they have not spoken unadvisedly, let us see what the 
Doctors and Saints have said on this subject. Let no 
one be surprised if I here quote several sentences, of 
different authors, containing the same thing ; for I 
have wished to record them all, in order to show how 
unanimously all writers agree on this point. St. An- 
selm says, that as he who is not devoted to Mary and 
protected by her cannot be saved, so it is impossible 
that he should be condemned who recommends him- 
self to the Virgin, and is regarded by her with 
affection. § St. Antoninus asserts the same thing in 
nearly the same words : As it is impossible that those 
from whom Mary turns away her eyes of compassion 
should be saved, so it must be that all those towards 
whom she turns her eyes, and for whom she intercedes, 
shall be saved and glorified. || This saint adds, then, 
that the servants of Mary must necessarily be saved. 

Let us note, however, the first part of the state- 

* Tom. 1, qu. 7. 

t Teologia Mariana. 

% Virid. 1. 1, Probl. 9. 

§ Virgo benedictissima, sicut impossibile est, ut a te aversus, 
et a te despectus salvetur, ita ad te conversus et a te respectus 
impossibile est ut pereat. De Exc. Virg. c. 11. 

| Sicut impossibile est, ut illi a quibus Maria oculos suce mi- 
sericordise avertit, salventur ; ita necessarium quod hi, ad quos 
convertit oculos suos, pro eis advocans, salventur etglorificentur. 
Part 4, tit. 50. 


256 


GLORIES OF MART. 


ments of these saints, and let those tremble who 
little esteem, or abandon through negligence, devo- 
tion to this divine mother. They say that it is impos- 
sible for those to be saved who are not protected by 
Mary. And this is also asserted by others, as the 
blessed Albertus Magnus : All those who are not thy 
servants, oh Mary, shall perish : “ Gens quae non ser- 
vierit tibi peribit.”* * * § St. Bonaventure, too : He who 
neglects the service of Mary shall die in sin.f And 
in another place : He who has not recourse to thee, oh 
Lady, will not reach paradise. J And on Psalm xcix. the 
saint goes so far as to say that those from whom Mary 
turns away her face, not only will not be saved, but 
'can have no hope of salvation. § And before this St. 
Ignatius, the martyr, said the same thing, asserting that 
a sinner cannot be saved except by means of the holy 
Virgin, who, on the other hand, saves by her merciful 
intercession many that would be condemned by the 
divine justice. || Some persons doubt whether this 
passage is from St. Ignatius ; at least Father Crasset 
says that St. John Chrysostom has adopted it as his 


* Bibl. Mar. c. 60. 

t Qui neglexerit illam, morietur in peccatis snis. In Psal. 
cxvi. 

X Qui te non invocat in hac vita, non perveniet ad regnum 
Dei. In Psal. lxxxvi. 

§ A quibus averteris vultum tuum, non erit spes ad salutem. 

| Impossible est aliquem salvari peccatorem, nisi per tuum, 
0 Virgo, auxilium et favorem, quia quos non sal vat Dei justitia, 
salvat sua intercessione Maries misericordia infinita. Ap. celada 
in Jud. Fig. s. 10. 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


257 


own.* * * § ** It is also repeated by the Abbot of Celles.f 
And in the same sense the holy Church applies to 
Mary these words of Proverbs : All that hate me 
love death : “ Omnes qui me oderunt, diligunt mor- 
tem. For, as Richard of St. Laurence says, com- 

menting on the words: She is like the merchant’s 
ship :§ all those who are out of this ship shall be sub- 
merged in the sea of this world. || Even the heretic 
(Ecolampadius esteemed neglect of devotion in any 
one to the mother of God as a certain sign of 
reprobation ; hence, he said : Let it never be heard of 
me that I am averse to Mary, to be ill affected to- 
wards whom I should think a certain sign of a repro- 
bate mind.^[ 

On the other hand, Mary says: He that heark- 
eneth to me shall not be confounded.*'* He who 
has recourse to me, and listens to what I say to 
him, shall not be lost. From which St. Bonaventure 
said: Oh, Lady, those who are mindful to honor 
thee, shall be far from perdition.ff Even when, as 

* In Deprec. ad Virg. 

+ In Comp. Virg. c. 5. 

X Prov. viii. 36. 

§ Facta est quasi navis institoris. Prov. xxxi. 14. 

1 In mare mundi submergentur omnes illi, quos non suscipit 
navis ista. De Laud. V. 1. 11. 

IT Nunquam de me audiatur, quasi averser Mariam, erga quam 
minus bene affici reprobate mentis certum existimem judicium. 
V. Ap. P. Pep. Lez. tom. 7. 

** Qui audit me non confundetur. Eccli. xxiv. 30. 

ft Qui praestat in obsequio tuo, procul fiet a perditione. In 
Psal. cxviii. 


22 * 


258 


GLORIES OF MART. 


St. Hilary says, they have hitherto deeply offended 
God.* 

Hence the devil strives so hard with sinners, in 
order that, having lost divine grace, they may also lose 
devotion to Mary. Sarah, seeing Isaac playing with 
Ishmael, who was teaching him evil habits, asked 
Abraham to send him away, and his mother Agar 
also : “ Cast out this bond- woman and her son.”f 
She was not satisfied that the son alone should leave 
the house without the mother, fearing lest the son 
would come to visit his mother, and thus continue to 
frequent the house. In like manner, the devil is not 
satisfied with seeing Jesus cast out from a soul, if he 
does not see the mother also cast out : “ Cast out this 
bond- woman and her son.” Otherwise he fears that 
the mother, by her intercession, may again obtain the 
return of her son. And he has cause to fear, for as 
the learned Father Paciucchelli remarks: He who is 
faithful in honoring the mother of God, through 
Mary, will soon receive him.J Therefore rightly was the 
devotion to our Lady called by St. Ephrem : The 
passport of escape from hell: “ Charta libertatis.”§ 
The divine mother was also named by him: The 
protectress of the condemned : “ Patrocinatrix damna- 
torum.” And with truth St. Bernard says, that 

* Quantumcumque quis fuerit peccator, si Marise devotus ex- 
titerit, nimquam in setcrnum peribit. Cant. 12, in Matt. 

t Ejice ancillam banc, et filium ejus. Gen. xxi. 10. 

X Qui Dei genitrici perseveranter obsequitur, non multa mora 
et Deum ipsutn in se recipiet. In Salv. Reg. Ex. 5. 

§ Or. de Laud. V. 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


259 


Mary is neither wanting in the power nor the 
will to save us.* Not in the power, because it 
is impossible that her prayers should not be heard, 
as St. Antoninus asserts ;f and St. Bonaventure says 
also, that her requests cannot be unavailing, but obtain 
for her what she wishes : Quod quaerit invenit et frus- 
trari non potest. + Not in the will to save us, for 
Mary is our mother, and desires our salvation more 
than we desire it ourselves. If this is then true, how 
can it ever happen that a servant of Mary should be 
lost ? He may be a sinner, but if, with perseverance 
and a desire for amendment, he commends himself to 
this good mother, she will take care to obtain for him 
lkjht to guide him out of his bad state, contrition for 
his sins, perseverance in goodness, and finally a good 
death. And is there any mother who would not res- 
cue her child from death, if she could do it by praying 
his judge for mercy ? And can we believe that Mary, 
the most loving mother possible to her servants, would 
fail to rescue one of them from eternal death, when 
she can do it so easily ? 

Ah, devout reader, let us thank the Lord, if we find 
that he has given us the love of the queen of heaven, 
and confidence in her; for God, as St. John Damas- 
cene says, does not grant this grace except to those 
whom he wishes to save. These are the beautiful 

* Nee facultas, nec voluntas illi deesse potest. Serm. de Aff. 

f Impossibile est Deiparam non exaudiri. P. 4, tit. 15, c. 17, 

b. 4. 


% Serm. de Aquaed. 


260 GLORIES OF MARY. 

words of the saint, with which he would quicken his 
own and our hope : Oh mother of God, if I place 
my confidence in thee I shall be saved. If I am 
under thy protection, I have nothing to fear, because 
to be thy servant is to have certain arms of salvation, 
which God only grants to those whom he will save.* 
Hence Erasmus thus salutes the Virgin : Hail, terror 
of hell ! hail, hope of Christians ! confidence in thee 
secures salvation.f 

Oh, how much it grieves the devil to see a soul 
persevering in its devotion to the divine mother! We 
read in the life of Father Alphonsus Alvarez, who had 
a special devotion to Mary, that being in prayer, and 
finding himself tormented by impure temptations with 
which the devil afflicted him, the enemy said to him : Quit 
thy devotion to Mary, and I will cease to tempt thee. 

The Lord revealed to St. Catherine of Sienna, as 
we read in Blosius, that he, in his goodness, had 
granted to Mary, from love to his only begotten Son, 
whose mother she is, that not even one sinner, who 
commends himself devoutly to her, should be the prey 
of hell. J The Prophet David, too, prayed to be res- 
cued from hell, for the honor in which he held Mary : 
“ I have loved, oh Lord, the beauty of thy house ; 

* Serm. de Nat. B. Y. 

+ Salve, inferorum formido, Christianorum spes, certa est fidu- 
cia tua. Orat. ad Virg. 

X Mariae filii mei genitrici a bonitate mea concessum est prop- 
ter Incarnati Verbi reverentiam, ut quicumque etiam peccator ad 
earn cum devota veneratione recurrit, nullo modo rapiatar a 
daemone infernali. In Man. Spir. 


GLORIES OF MART. 


261 


take not away my soul with the wicked.”* He says 
of thy house, “ Domus tuae,” because Mary was, in- 
deed, that house of God, which he himself, when he 
became man, built on this earth for his habitation, and 
for the place of his rest, as we read in Proverbs : 
Wisdom hath built herself a house. I No, he surely 
will not be lost, says St. Ignatius, the martyr, who is 
constant in his devotion to this virgin mother.^ And 
this is confirmed by St. Bonaventure, who says : Oh 
Lady, those who love thee enjoy great peace in this 
life, and in the other they shall not see eternal death.§ 
No, for it never did, and never will happen, as the 
devout Blosius assures us, that an humble and constant 
servant of Mary will be lost. || 

Oh, how many would have been eternally con- 
demned, or remained in obstinacy, if Mary had not in- 
terceded with her Son to exercise mercy ! Thus says 
Thomas a Kempis.^]~ And it is the opinion of many 
doctors, especially of St. Thomas, that the divine 
mother has obtained from God a reprieve for many 

* Domine, dilexi decorem domus tuae, ne perdas cum impiis 
animam meam. Psal. xxv. 8, 9. 

+ Sapicntia asdificavit sibi domum. Prov. ix. 1. 

X Nunquam peribit qui genitrici Virgini devotus sedulusquo 
extiterit. 

§ Paxmulta diligentibus te, Domina; anima eorum nonvide- 
bit mortem in aster num. In Psal. cxviii. 

II Fieri non potest ut pereat qui Mariae sedulus et umilis cul- 
tor extiterit. In Cant. v. Spir. c. 18. 

TT Quanti fuissent, asternaliter condemnati, vel permansissent 
in desperatione obstinati, nisi beatissima Virgo Maria interpel- 
lasset ad filium. Ap. Pep. Lez. tom. 7. 


262 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


persons who had even died in mortal sin, and then* re- 
turn to life to do penance. We have many examples 
of this given by writers of good authority. Among 
others, Flodoard, who lived about the ninth century, 
narrates, in his chronicles,* that one Adelman, a dea- 
con, who appeared to be dead, was about to be buried, 
when he returned to life, and said, that he had seen 
the place in hell to which he had already been con- 
demned ; but that, through the intercession of the 
blessed Virgin, he had been sent back to earth to do 
penance. Surius also relates, that a Roman citizen, 
named Andrew, had died without doing penance, and 
that Mary had obtained his return to life that he 
might procure pardon.f Pelbart, moreover, relates, 
that in his time, when the Emperor Sigismund was 
crossing the Alps with his army, a voice was heard, 
proceeding from a dead body, of which only the bones 
remained, asking for confession, and saying, that the 
mother of God, to whom he had been devoted whilst 
he was a soldier, had obtained for him that he should 
live in those bones until he had made his confession. 
Having confessed, he died.J These and similar exam- 
ples must not serve as encouragement for some rash 
person who would live in sin, in the hope that Mary 
would free him from hell, even if he should die in sin ; 
for as it would be a great folly to throw one’s self into a 
well, in the hope that Mary would save us from death, 

* Ap. Crass, to. 1, q. 12. 

t L.l, c. 35. 

% Stellar. Cor. B. Y. 1. 12, p. 2, a. 1. 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


263 


because the Virgin has rescued some persons under 
similar circumstances; thus a greater folly would it 
be for one to run the risk of dying in sin, on the pre- 
sumption that the holy Virgin would rescue him from 
hell. But these examples should serve to strengthen 
our confidence by the consideration, that if the inter- 
cession of this divine mother could deliver those from 
hell — even those who have died in sin — how much 
more will it prevent those from falling into hell who 
in life have recourse to her with the intention to 
amend and serve her faithfully ? 

Then, oh our mother, let us say with St. Germanus : 
What will become of us who are sinners, but who wish 
to amend and have recourse to thee, who art the life 
of Christians ?* Let us, oh Lady, hear what St. An- 
selm says of thee, that he will not be lost for whom 
thou hast once offered thy prayers.f Pray, then, for 
us, and we shall be saved from hell. Who will tell 
me, says Richard of Victor, that when I am presented 
at the divine tribunal, the Judge will not be favorable 
to me, if I shall have thee to defend my cause, oh 
mother of mercy And the blessed Henry Suso 
declared, that he had placed his soul in the care of 
Mary, and he said, that if the Judge wished to condemn 
him, he would have the sentence pass through the 

* Quid autem de nobis fiet, 0 sanctissima Virgo, 0 vita Chris- 
tianorum. De Zona Virg. 

f JEteraum vae non sentiet ille pro quo semel oraverit Maria. 

X Si accedam ad judicium, et matrem misericordiae in causa 
mea habeo mecum, quis judicium denegabit propitium? In 

C. c. 15. 


264 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


hands of Mary.* For he hoped that when the sen- 
tence of condemnation should fall into the kind hands 
of the Virgin, its execution would certainly be pre- 
vented. I ask and hope the same for myself, oh my 
most holy queen. Whence I will always repeat with 
St. Bonaventure : Oh Lady, in thee I have placed all 
my hopes, therefore I securely hope not to be lost, 
but safe in heaven to praise and love thee forever, f 

EXAMPLE. 

In the year 1604 there lived in a city of Flanders 
two young students, who, instead of attending to their 
studies, gave themselves up to excesses and dissipation. 
One night, having gone to the house of a woman of 
ill fame, one of them, named Richard, after some time 
returned home, but the other remained. Richard 
having gone home, was undressing to go to rest, when 
he remembered that he had not recited that day, as 
usual, some “Hail Marys.” He was oppressed with 
sleep and very weary, yet he roused himself and re- 
cited them, although without devotion, and only half 
awake. He then went to bed, and having just fallen 
asleep, he heard a loud knocking at the door, and 
immediately after, before he had time to open it, he 
saw before him his companion, with a hideous and 
ghastly appearance. “Who are you?” he said to 

* Si judex Bervum suum damnare voluerit, per manus tuas 
piissimas, 0 Maria, hoc faciat. Hor. Sap. 1. 1, c. 16. 

+ In te, Domina, speravi, non confundar in seternum. In 
Psal. Mar. 


G-L OKIES OF MAKY. 265 

him. “ Do you not know me ?” answered the other. 
“But what has so changed you? you seem like a 
demon.” “ Alas !” exclaimed this poor wretch, “ I 
am damned.” “ And how is this ?” “ Know,” he 

said, “ that when I came out of that infamous house, 
a devil attacked me and strangled me. My body lies 
in the middle of the street, and my soul is in hell. 
Know that my punishment would also have been yours, 
but the blessed Virgin, on account of those few ‘ Hail 
Marys’ said in her honor, has saved you. Happy 
will it be for you, if you know how to avail yourself 
of this warning, that the mother of God sends you 
through me.” After these words he opened his cloak, 
showed the fire and serpents that were consuming 
him, and then disappeared. Then the youth, burst- 
ing into a flood of tears, threw himself with his face 
on the ground, to thank Mary, his deliverer, and 
while he was revolving in his mind a change of life, 
he hears the matin bell of a neighboring Franciscan 
Monastery. “ It is there,” he exclaimed, “ that God 
calls me to do penance.” He went immediately to the 
convent to beg the fathers to receive him. Knowing 
how bad his life had been, they objected. But after he 
nad related the circumstance which had brought him 
there, weeping bitterly all the while, two of the fathers 
went out to search in the street, and actually found 
there the dead body of his companion, having the marks 
of strangulation, and black as a coal. Whereupon 
the young man was received. Richard from that time 
led an exemplary life. He went into India to preach 

23 


266 


GLORIES OF MART. 


the faith; from thence passed to Japan, and finally had 
the good fortune and received the grace of dying a 
martyr for Jesus Christ, by being burned alive.* 

PRAYER. 

Oh Mary ! oh my most dear mother ! in what an 
abyss of evil I should find myself, if thou, with thy 
kind hand, hadst not so often preserved me ! Yea, 
how many years should I already have been in hell, 
if thou, with thy powerful prayers, hadst not rescued 
me ! My grievous sins were hurrying me there ; divine 
justice had already condemned me ; the raging demons 
were waiting to execute the sentence ; but thou didst 
appear, oh mother, not invoked nor asked by me, 
and hast saved me. Oh my dear deliverer, what re- 
turn can I make thee for so much grace and so much 
love ? Thou hast overcome the hardness of my heart, 
and hast drawn me to love thee and confide in thee. 
And oh, into what an abyss of evils I afterwards 
should have fallen, if thou, with thy kind hand, hadst 
not so many times protected me from the dangers 
into which I was on the brink of falling ! Continue, 
oh my hope, continue to save me from hell, but first 
of all from the sins into which I might again fall. Do 
not permit that I shall have to curse thee in hell. My 
beloved Lady, I love thee, and how can thy goodness 
endure to see one of thy servants who loves thee, 
lost ? Ah, obtain for me the grace to be no longer 


* P. Alf. Andrada de Bapt. Virg. 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


267 


ungrateful to thee and to my God, who for love of 
thee hath granted me so many favors. Oh Mary, 
what dost thou say to me ? Shall I be lost ? I shall 
be lost if I leave thee. But who will any more ven- 
ture to forsake thee ? Shall I ever forget thy love for 
me ? Thou, after God, art the love of my soul. I 
dare live no longer without loving thee. I bless thee ! 
I love thee ! and I hope that I shall always love thee 
in time and in eternity, oh creature most beautiful ! 
most holy ! most sweet ! most amiable of all creatures 
in this world ! Amen. 


SECTION II. 

MARY ASSISTS HER SERVANTS IN PURGATORY. 

Too happy are the servants of this most kind 
mother, since not only in this world they are aided by 
her, but also in purgatory they are assisted and con- 
soled by her protection. For succor being there more 
needed, because they are in torment and cannot help 
themselves, so much the more does this mother of 
mercy strive to help them. St. Bernardine of Sienna 
says, that in that prison of souls who are spouses of 
Jesus Christ, Mary has a eertain dominion and pleni- 
tude of power to relieve them, as well as deliver them 
from their pains.* 

And, in the first place, as to relieving them, the 

* Beata Virgo in regno purgatorii dominium habet. Serrn. 
3, de Nom. Mar. a. 1, c. 3. 


268 


GLORIES OF MART. 


same saint, applying the words of Ecclesiasticus : I 
have walked in the waves of the sea : “ In fluctibus 
maris ambulavi,”* * * § adds, visiting and relieving the 
necessities and sufferings of my servants, who are my 
children.f St. Bemardine says, that the pains of 
purgatory are called waves, because they are transi- 
tory, unlike the pains of hell, which never end ; and 
they are called waves of the sea, because they are 
very bitter pains. The servants of Mary tormented 
by those pains are often visited and succored by her. 
See, then, how important it is, says Novarino, to be 
a servant of this good Lady ; for she never forgets 
such when they are suffering in those flames. And 
although Mary succors all the souls in purgatory, yet 
she always obtains more indulgences and alleviations 
for those who have been especially devoted to her.J 
This divine mother, in her revelations to St. Bridget, 
said : “I am the mother of all the souls in purgatory ; 
and all the sufferings which they merit for the sins 
committed in life are every hour, while they remain 
there, alleviated in some measure by my prayers. ”§ 


* Cap. xxiv. v. 8. 

t Scilicet visitans et subveniens necessitatibus et tormentis de- 
votorum meorum quia filii sunt. Serm. 3, de Nom. Mar. a. 1, c. 8. 

\ Vide quam referat Virginem colere, cum cultorum suorum 
in purgatorii flammis existentium non obliviscatur. Et licet 
omnibus opem et refrigerium ferat, id tamen praecipue erga euos 
praestat. Nov. Virg. Umb. c. 15, exc. 86. 

§ Ego mater omnium qui sunt in purgatorio, quia omnes 
poenae, quae debentur illis pro peccatis suis, in qualibethora prop- 
ter preces meas quodammodo mitigantur. L. 4, Eev. c. 132. 


GLORIES OF MART. 269 

This kind mother sometimes condescends even to 
enter into that holy prison, to visit and console these 
her afflicted children. I have penetrated into the bot- 
tom of the deep : “ Profundum abyssi penetravi,” as 
*we read in Ecclesiasticus ;* * * § and St. Bonaventure, ap- 
plying these words, adds : I have penetrated the depth 
of this abyss, that is, of purgatory, to relieve by my 
presence those holy souls.f Oh, how kind and benef- 
icent is the holy Virgin to those who are suffering in 
purgatory ! says St. Vincent Ferrer ; through her they 
receive continual consolation and refreshment.^ 

And what other consolation have they in their suf- 
ferings than Mary, and the help of this mother of 
mercy ? St. Bridget one day heard Jesus saying to 
his mother : “ Thou art my mother, thou art the mother 
of mercy, thou art the consoler of those who are 
in purgatory. ”§ And the blessed Virgin herself said 
to St. Bridget, that as a poor sick person, suffering 
and deserted on his bed, feels himself refreshed by 
some word of consolation, so those souls feel them- 
selves consoled in hearing only her name. || The name 
alone of Mary, a name of hope and salvation, which 


* Cap. xxiv. 8. 

t Abyssi, idest purgatorii, adjuvans illas sanetas animas. 

X Maria bona, existentibus in purgatorio ; quia per earn habent 
suffragium. Ser. 2, de Nat. 

§ Tu es mater mea, tu mater misericordiae, tu consolatio 
eorum, qui sunt in purgatorio. Lib. 1, Rev. 19. 

|| Qui sunt in purgatorio gaudent, nomine meo audito, quem- 
admodum seger jacens in lecto, cum audit verbum solatii. Ap. 
B. Dion. Cant. 1. 3, de Laud. V. 

23 * 


270 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


these beloved children often invoke in that prison, is 
for them a great comfort. But, then, says Novarino, 
the loving mother, on hearing herself invoked by them, 
adds her prayers to God, by which these souls receive 
comfort, and find their burning pains cooled as if by 
dew from heaven.* * * § 

But not only does Mary console and succor her 
servants in purgatory; she also releases them from 
this prison, and delivers them by her intercession. 
From the day of her glorious assumption, in which 
that prison is said to have been emptied, f as Gerson 
•writes ; and Novarino confirms this by saying, that 
many weighty authors relate that Mary, when about 
to ascend to paradise, asked this favor of her Son, 
that she might take with her all the souls that were 
then in purgatory ;J from that time, says Gerson, the 
blessed Virgin has possessed the privilege of freeing her 
servants from those pains. And this also is positively 
asserted by St. Bernardine, who says that the blessed 
Virgin has the power of delivering souls from purga- 
tory by her prayers and the application of her merits, 
especially if they have been devoted to her.§ And 

* Virginis nomen illarum poenarum refrigerium est ; addit 
Virgo preces quibus veluti supero qnodam rore cruciatus Uli 
magni mitigantur. Nov. cit. c. 15, exc. 86. 

t Totum purgatorium fuisse evaouatum. 

t Ferunt quippe bonae notae auctores, Virginem in ccelurn 
ituram a filio hoc petiisse, ut omnes animas quae detinebantur 
in purgatorio, secum ad gloriam ducere posset. Cit. Exc. 86. 

§ Ab his tormentis liberat beata Virgo, maxime devotos suos. 
Serin. 3, de Nom. Mar. a. 2, c. 3. 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


271 


Eovarino says the same thing, believing that by the 
merits of Mary, not only the torments of these souls 
are assuaged, but also abridged, the time of their pur- 
gation being shortened by her intercession :* and for 
this it is enough that she presents herself to pray for 
them. 

St. Peter Damian relates, f that a certain lady, 
named Marozia, after death, appeared to her god- 
mother, and told her that on the day of the Assump- 
tion of Mary she had been released by her from pur- 
gatory, with a multitude of souls exceeding in num- 
ber the whole population of Rome. St. Denis the 
Carthusian relates, that on the festivals of the birth 
and resurrection of Jesus Christ, Mary descends into 
purgatory, accompanied by troops of angels, and re- 
leases many souls from their torments.J And Nova- 
rino believes that the same thing happens on every 
solemn festival of the holy Virgin.§ 

Every one has heard of the promise made by Mary 
to Pope John, to whom she appeared, and ordered 

* Crediderim omnibus qui in flammis purgantur, Mari® 
meritis non solum leviores fuisse redditas illas pcenas, sed et 
breviores ; adeo ut cruciatuum tempus contractum Virginis ope 
illius sit. Cit. Exc. 86. 

f Lib. 3, Ep. 10, et in ord. 50. 

\ Beatissima Virgo singulis in annis festivitate nativitatis 
Christi ad purgatorii loca cum multitudine angelorum descendit, 
et multas inde animas eripit. Etiam in nocte dominie® resur- 
rectionis solet descendere ad purgatorium pro eductione ani- 
marum. Cart. Serm. 2, de Aff. 

§ Facile autem crediderim in quocumque Virginis sclemni 
festo plures animas ab illis poenis eximi. In loc. cit. 


272 GLORIES OF MARY. 

him to make known to all those who should wear the 
sacred scapular of Carmel, that on the Saturday after 
their death they should be released from purgatory. 
And this was proclaimed by the same pontiff, as 
Father Crasset relates,* in a bull which he published. 
It was also confirmed by Alexander V., Clement VII., 
Pius V., Gregory XIII., and Paul V., who, in 1612, 
in a bull said : “ That Christians may piously believe 
that the blessed. Virgin will aid by her continual in- 
tercession, by her merits and special protection, after 
death, and principally on Saturday, which is a day 
consecrated by the Church to the blessed Virgin, the 
souls of the members of the confraternity of holy 
Mary of Mount Carmel, who shall have departed this 
life in the state of grace, worn the scapular, observing 
chastity according to their state of life, recited the 
office of the Virgin, and if they have not been able 
to recite it, shall have observed the fasts of the Church, 
abstaining from flesh -meat on Wednesdays, except on 
Christmas-day.” And in the solemn office of the 
feast of holy Mary of Mount Carmel, we read that it 
is piously believed, that the holy Virgin, with a 
mother’s love, consoles the members of the confrater- 
nity of Mount Carmel in purgatory, and by her inter- 
cession conducts them to their heavenly country. | 
Why should we not also hope for the same graces 

* Tom. 2, Div. d. B. Virg. tr. 6, prat. 4. 

t Materno plane affectu, dum igne purgatorii expiantur, solari, 
ac in coelestem patriam obtentu suo quantocius pie creditur 
afferre. In Festo S. Mar. de M. Carm. 16, Jul. 


GLORIES OF MARY. 273 

and favors, if we are devoted to this good mother ? 
And if with more special love we serve her, why cannot 
we hope to obtain the grace of going immediately after 
death to paradise, without entering into purgatory ? 
as we read that the holy Virgin said to the blessed 
Godfrey, through brother Abondo, in these words: 
“Go and tell brother Godfrey to advance in virtue, for 
thus he will be a child of my Son, and mine also ; and 
when his soul quits the body, I will not permit it to 
go to purgatory, but I will take it and present it to 
my Son.”* And if we would assist the holy souls in 
purgatory, let us endeavor to remember them in all 
our prayers to the blessed Virgin, applying to them 
especially the holy rosary, which procures for them 
great relief, as we read in the following example. 

EXAMPLE. 

Father Eusebius Nierembergh relates, f that there 
lived in the city of Aragona a girl, named Alexandra, 
who, being noble and very beautiful, was greatly 
loved by two young men. Through jealousy, they 
one day fought and killed each other. Their enraged 
relatives, in return, killed the poor young girl, as the 
cause of so much trouble, cut off her head, and threw 
her into a well. A few days after, St. Dominic was 
passing through that place, and, inspired by the Lord, 
approached the well, and said : “ Alexandra, come 
forth,” and immediately the head of the deceased 

* In lib. de Gest. Yir. ill. Sol. Villar. 
t Tropb. Marian. 1. 4, c. 29. 


274 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


came forth, placed itself on the edge of the well, and 
prayed St. Dominic to hear its confession. The saint 
heard its confession, and also gave it communion, in 
presence of a great concourse of persons who had as- 
sembled to witness the miracle. Then, St. Dominic 
ordered her to speak and tell why she had received 
that grace. Alexandra answered, that when she was 
beheaded, she was in a state of mortal sin, but that 
the most holy Mary, on account of the rosary, which 
she was in the habit of reciting, had preserved her in 
life. Two days the head retained its life upon the 
edge of the well, in the presence of all, and then the 
soul went to purgatory. But fifteen days after, the 
soul of Alexandra appeared to St. Dominic, beautiful 
and radiant as a star, and told him, that one of the 
principal sources of relief to the souls in purgatory 
is the rosary which is recited for them ; and that, 
as soon as they arrive in paradise, they pray for 
those who apply to them these powerful prayers. 
Having said this, St. Dominic saw that happy 
soul ascending in triumph to the kingdom of the 
blessed. 


PRAYER. 

Oh Queen of heaven and of earth, oh mother of the 
Lord of the world, oh Mary, creature most great, 
most exalted, most amiable, it is true that many on the 
earth do not love thee and do not know thee ; but there 
are innumerable angels and saints in heaven who love 
and praise thee continually. On this earth, too, how 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


27S 


many happy souls burn with love of thee, and live 
enamored of thy goodness ! Ah, if I, too, might love 
thee, my most lovely Lady ! Oh, that I might always 
be engaged in serving thee, in praising thee, in honor- 
ing thee, and in striving to awaken love of thee in 
others. A God hath been enamored of thee, who, by 
thy beauty, if I may so speak, hast drawn him from 
the bosom of the eternal Father, to come upon the 
earth and become man and thy Son ; and I, a miserable 
worm, shall I not be enamored of thee? Yes, my 
most sweet mother, I also will love thee, love thee 
much, and do all in my power to make thee loved by 
others. Accept, then, oh Mary, the desire I have to 
love thee, and help me to fulfil it : I know that thy 
lovers are regarded with much favor by thy God. 
Next to his own glory, he desires nothing more than 
thy glory, in seeing thee honored and loved by all. 
From thee, oh Lady, I await all my blessings. Thou 
must obtain the pardon of all my sins, thou must 
obtain for me perseverance, succor in death, deliver- 
ance from purgatory, in a word, thou must conduct 
me to paradise. All this thy lovers hope from thee, 
and they. are not deceived. This I also hope, who 
love thee with all my heart, and above all things 
next to God. 


276 


GLORIES OF MAEY. 


SECTION III. 

MART CONDUCTS HER SERVANTS TO PARADISE. 

Oh, what a signal mark of predestination have 
the servants of Mary ! The holy Church applies to 
this divine mother the words of Ecclesiasticus, and 
makes her say for the comfort of her servants : “In 
all these I sought rest, and I shall abide in the inherit- 
ance of the Lord.”* Cardinal Hugo, commenting on 
this, remarks : Blessed is he in whose habitation the 
holy Virgin found rest : “ Beatus in cujus domo beatse 
Virgo requiem invenerit.” Mary, through the love 
she bears to all, seeks to make devotion to her prevail 
in all hearts. Many do not receive it, or do not pre- 
serve it ; blessed is he who receives it and preserves 
it. In the inheritance of the Lord will I abide ; that 
is, adds the learned Paciucchelli, in those who are the 
inheritance of the Lord.f Devotion to the Virgin 
abides in all those who are the inheritance of the Lord, 
that is, who will be in heaven praising him eternally. 
Mary continues in' the passage above cited : “ He that 
made me, rested in my tabernacle, and he said to me : 
Let thy dwelling be in Jacob, and thy inheritance in 

Israel, and take root in my elect.”]; My Creator has 

» 

* In omnibus requiem quaesivi, et in hereditate Domini mo- 
rabor. Cap. xxiv. 11. 

t Et in hsereditate Domini morabor, idest in illis qui sunt 
hacreditas Domini. . 

| Qui creavit me, requievit in tabernaculo meo ; et dixit mihi ; 


GLORIES OF MART. 


277 


condescended to come and rest in my bosom, and has 
willed that I should inhabit in the hearts of all the elect, 
whom Jacob prefigured, and who are the inheritance 
of the Virgin ; and he has ordained that devotion to 
me and confidence in me should take root in the 
hearts of the elect. 

Oh, how many would have failed of being among 
the blessed in heaven, if Mary, by her powerful inter- 
cession, had not conducted them thither ! “ I made 

that in the heavens there should rise fight that never 
faileth thus Cardinal Hugo puts into her mouth 
these words of the same chapter of Ecclesiasticus : I 
have made to shine in heaven as many eternal lights 
as I have devoted servants. Whence the same author 
adds, commenting on this text : Many saints are in 
heaven by her intercession, who never would have 
been there without it.f St. Bonaventure says, that 
the gate of heaven will be opened to receive all those 
who trust in the protection of Mary.J Hence St. 
Ephrem called devotion to the divine mother the 
opening of paradise. § And the devout Blosius, ad- 
dressing the Virgin, says to her : Lady, to thee are 
committed the keys and the treasures of the heavenly 

in Jacob inhabita, et in Israel bsereditare, et in electis meis 
mitte radices. 

* Ego feci in ccelis, ut oriretur lumen indeficiens. Cap. xxiv. 
v. 6. 

f Multi sancti sunt in ccelis, intercessione ejus, qui nunquam, 
ibi fuissent nisi per earn. 

X Qui speraverit in ilia, porta coeli reserabitur ei. 

§ Reseramentum coelestis Jerusalem. Orat. de Laud. Virg. 

24 


278 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


kingdom.* * * § And, therefore, we should continually 
supplicate her in the words of St. Ambrose : Open to 
us, oh Virgin, heaven, for thou hast the keys of it.f 
Nay, thou art even the gate of it, as the holy Church 
names thee, “ Janua cceli.” 

For this reason the great mother is also called by 
the holy Church : Star of the sea : “ Ave, Maris 
Stella.” For as navigators, says the angelic St. 
Thomas, are guided to port by means of a star, thus 
Christians are guided to heaven by means of Mary,J 

She is for this reason, finally, called by St. Peter 
Damian, the ladder of heaven : “ Scala coelestis*;” for, 
as the saint says, by means of Mary God has de- 
scended from heaven to earth, that by the same, or by 
her, men might merit to ascend from earth to heaven.§ 
And for this reason, oh Lady, says St. Anastasius, thou 
art full of grace, that thou mightest be made the 
way of our salvation, and the ascent to the celestial 
country.|| St. Bernard calls the blessed Virgin: 
The vehicle to heaven: “Vehiculum ad ccelum.” 
And St. John the Geometrician salutes her: Hail, 

* Tibi regni coelestis claves thesaurique commissi sunt. Ci- 
mel. Endol. 1. 

f Aperi nobis, O Virgo, coelum, cujus claves habes. 

X Eicitur stella maris, quia sicut navigantes ad portum diri- 
guntur per stellam maris, ita Christiani diriguntur ad gloriam 
per Mariam. Opusc. 8. 

§ Scala coelestis, quia per ipsam Eeus descendit ad terram, nt 
per ipsam homines mererentur ascendere ad coelum. 

S A vc gratia plena, quod facta sis salutis via, ascensusque ad 
superos. Serm. 1, de Annunc. 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


279 


most noble chariot : “ Salve clarissime currus by 
which her servants are conducted to heaven. And, 
St. Bonaventure addresses her thus : Blessed are those 
who know thee, oh mother of God ! for to know thee 
is the path to immortal life, and to publish thy vir- 
tues is the way to eternal salvation A' 

In the Franciscan chroniclesf it is related of brother 
Leo, that he once saw a red ladder, upon which Jesus 
Christ was standing, and a white one, upon which 
stood his holy mother. He saw persons attempting 
to ascend the red ladder ; they ascended a few steps 
and then fell; they ascended again, and again fell. 
Then they were exhorted to ascend the white ladder, 
and on that he saw them succeed, for the blessed 
Virgin offered them her hand, and they arrived in 
that manner safe in paradise. St. Denis the Carthu- 
sian asks : Who will ever be saved ? Who will ever 
reign in heaven ? They are saved, and will certainly 
reign, he himself answers, for whom this queen of 
mercy offers her prayers.^ And. this Mary herself 
affirms: By me kings reign: “Per me reges reg- 
nant.’^ Through ray intercession souls reign first 
in the mortal life on this earth, by governing their 
passions, and then they go to reign eternally in 
heaven, where, as St. Augustine declares, all are 

* Scire et cognoscere te, 0 Virgo Deipara, est via immortalita- 
tis ; et narrare virtutes tuas est via salutis. In Psal. lxxxv. 

f P. 1, 1. 1, c. 35. 

% Quis salvatur? quis regnat in ccelo? illi sunt, pro quibus 
regina misericordiae interpellat. 

§ Prov. viii. 15. 


280 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


kings : “ Quot cives, tot reges.” Mary, in a word, as 
Rickard of St. Laurence says, is the mistress of para- 
dise, since there she commands according to her pleas- 
ure, and introduces into it whom she will. Therefore, 
applying to her the words of Ecclesiasticus, he adds : 
“ My power is in Jerusalem I command what I will, 
and introduce whom I will.f And as she is the mother 
of the Lord of paradise, she is with reason, also, says 
Rupert, the Lady of paradise. She possesses, by right, 
the whole kingdom of her Son.J 

This divine mother, with her powerful prayers and 
assistance, has obtained for us paradise, if we place no 
obstacle to our entrance tliere.§ Wherefore those 
who are servants of Mary, and for whom Mary inter- 
cedes, are as secure of paradise as if they were al- 
ready there. || To serve Mary and to belong to her 
court, adds St. John of Damascus, is the greatest 
honor we can attain ; for to serve the queen of heaven 
is to reign already in heaven, and to live in obedience 
to her commands is more than to reign, On the 

* In Jerusalem potestas mea. C. 24, 25. 
t Imperando scilicet quod volo, et quos volo, introducendo. 
Rice. 1. 4, de. L. V. 

X Totum jure possidet filii regnum. L. 3, in Cant. 4. 

§ Coeleste nobis regnum suo interventu, auxiliis, et precibus 
impetravit. St. Antoninus, p. 4, tit. 15, c. 2, s. 1. 

|| Q,ui Virgini famulatur, ita securus est de paradiso ac si esset 
in paradiso. Guerricus Abbas, 

Tf Summus honor servire Marias, et de ejus esse familia. Ete- 
nim ei servire regnare est, est ejus agi froenis plusquam regium. 
De Exc. Virg. c. 9. 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


281 


other hand, he says that those who do not serve Mary 
will not be saved ; whilst those who are deprived 
of the support of this great mother, are deprived of 
the succor of the Son, and of all the celestial court.* * * § 
Forever praised be the infinite goodness of our God 
who has constituted Maiy our advocate in heaven, 
that she, as mother of the judge and mother of mercy 
may efficaciously, by her intercession, order the great 
affair of our eternal salvation. This sentiment is taken 
from St. Bernard.f And James the Monk, esteemed 
a doctor among the Greek fathers, says that God has 
made Mary a bridge of salvation, by which we are 
enabled to pass over the waves of this world, and 
reach the blessed port of paradise. J Hence St. Bona- 
venture exclaims: Hear, oh ye people who desire 
paradise ; serve and honor Mary, and you will cer- 
tainly find life eternal. § 

Not even those who deserve hell should despair of 
attaining the kingdom of the blessed, if they faithfully 
devote themselves to the service of this queen. Sin- 
ners, says St. Germanus, have sought to find God by 

* Gens quae non servierit illi, peribit. Gentes destitute tantse 
matris auxilio, destituuntur auxilio Filii, et totius curiae ccelestis. 
Exc. Virg. c. 9. 

t Advocatam promisit peregrinatio nostra, quae tanquam ju- 
dicis mater, et mater misericordiae, suppliciter et efficaciter sa- 
lutis nostrae negotia pertractabit. Serm. 1, de Assump. 

X Earn tu pontem fecisti, quo a mundi fluctibus trajiciens, ad 
tranquillum portum tuum deveniamus. Orat. in Nat. Deip. 

§ Audite, gentes, qui cupitis regnum Dei, Virginem Mariam 
honorate et invenietis vitam aeternam. In Psalt. Vir. 

24* 


282 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


thy means, oh Mary, and have been saved !* * * § Richard 
of St. Laurence remarks that Mary is said by St. John 
to be crowned with stars.f On the other hand, in 
the sacred Canticles, the Virgin is said to be crowned 
with wild beasts, lions and panthers : “ Come from 
Libanus, my spouse, come from Libanus, come ; thou 
slialt be crowned from the dens of the lions, from the 
mountains of the leopards.’ ’J; What does this signify ? 
Richard answers that those wild beasts are those sinners, 
who, through the favor and intercession of Mary, have 
become stars of paradise, which are a crown more 
worthy of this queen of mercy, than all the material 
stars of heaven. § The servant of the Lord, sister 
Seraphina da Capri, as we read in her life, in her 
prayers to the most holy Virgin during the No vena of 
her assumption, asked of her the conversion of a thou- 
sand sinners; but as she feared that her demands 
Were too extravagant, the Virgin appeared to her, and 
reproved her for this her vain fear, saying to her : 
“ Why do you fear ? am I not powerful enough to 
obtain for thee from my Son the salvation of a thou- 
sand sinners ? Behold them, I have already obtained 
it.” She then led her in spirit to paradise, and there 

* Peccatores per te, Deum exquisierunt et salvi facti sunt. 
Serm. de Dorm. Deip. 

t Et in eapite ejus corona stellarum duodecim. Apoc. xii. 1. 

t Veni de Libano, sponsa mea, veni de Libano, veni corona- 
beris de cubilibus leonum, de montibus pardorum. Cant. iv. 8. 

§ Et quid est hoc ? nisi quia ferae per gratiam et orationes 
Mariae sunt stellae, quae conveniunt tant£e reginae. De Laud. Virg. 
cap. 3. 


GLORIES OF MARY. 283 

showed her the souls of innumerable sinners who had 
merited hell, and had afterwards been saved by her 
intercession, and were already enjoying eternal bliss. 

It is true that in this life no one can be certain of 
his eternal salvation : “ Man knoweth not whether he 
he worthy of love or hatred, but all things are kept 
uncertain for the time to come.”* David asked of 
God : Oh Lord, who will be saved ? “ Who shall 

dwell in thy tabernacle?”! St. Bona venture, writing 
on these words, answers : Oh sinners, let us follow the 
footsteps of Mary, and cast ourselves at her blessed 
feet, and let us not leave her until she blesses uS, for 
her blessing will secure to us paradise.]; It is enough, 
oh Lady, says St. Anselm, that thou dost wish to save 
us, for then we cannot but be saved. § St. Antoninus 
adds, that souls protected by Mary are necessarily 
saved ; those upon whom she turns her eyes are ne- 
cessarily justified and glorified. || 

With reason, says St. Ildephonsus, the most holy Vir- 
gin predicted that all generations would call her bless- 
ed ;®[ for all the elect by means of Mary obtain 

* Nescit homo utrum odio vel amore dignus sit, sed omnia 
in futurum servantur incerta. Eccli. ix. 1, 2. 

+ Domine quis habitabit in tabernaculo tuo ? Psal. xiv. 1. 

X Amplectamur Mariae vestigia, peccatores, et ejus beatis pe- 
dibus pervolvainur. Teneamus earn fortiter, nec dimittamus, 
donee ab ea mereamur benedici. 

§ Tantummodo velis salutem nostram, et vere nequaquam 
salvi esse non poterimus. De Exc. Virg. c. 11. 

|| Necessarium est quod hi ad quos convertit (Maria) oculos 
suos, justificentur, et glorificentur. P. 4, tit. 55. 

TT Beatam me dicent omnes generationes. Luc. i. 48. 


284 


GLORIES OF MART. 


eternal blessedness.* * * § Thou, oh great mother, art the 
beginning, the middle, and the end of our felicity, 
says St. Methodius, f The beginning, because Mary 
obtains for us the pardon of our sins ; the middle, be- 
cause she obtains for us perseverance in divine grace ; 
the end, because she finally obtains for us paradise. 
By thee, St. Bernard continues, heaven has been 
opened — by thee hell has been emptied — by thee par- 
adise has been restored — by thee, in a word, eternal 
life has been given to many sinners who have merited 
eternal death.J 

But above all, we should be encouraged in the cer- 
tain hope of paradise, by the rich promise which 
Mary has herself made to those who honor her, and 
especially to those who, by their w r ords and their ex- 
ample, strive to make her known and honored among 
others : “ They that work by me shall not sin ; they 
that explain me shall have life everlasting. ”§ Oh 
happy, then, are they, says St. Bonaventure, who gain 
the favor of Mary! they will be welcomed by the 
blessed as being already their companions ; and who- 
soever bears the seal of a servant of Mary, has his 

* Beata jure dicitur, quia omnes ex ea beatificantur. Serin. 
3, de Aff. 

t Tu felicitatis nostrse principium, medium et finis. Serm. in 
Hypant. 

% Per te ccelum apertum est, infernus evacuatus, instaurata 
coelestis Jerusalem, miseris damnationem expectantibus vita 
data est. Serm. 4, de Aff. Virg. 

§ Qui operabunt in me, non peccabunt. Qui elucidant me, 
vitam aeternam babebunt. Eccli. xxiv. 30, 31. 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


285 


name already written in the book of life.* * * § Of what 
avail is it, then, to trouble ourselves with the opinions 
of the schoolmen, on the question, whether predesti- 
nation to glory precedes or follows the foreknowledge 
of merits ? Whether or not our names are written in 
the book of life ? If w r e are true servants of Mary 
and obtain her protection, we certainly are written 
there ; for, as St. John of Damascus says, God gives 
the grace of devotion to his holy mother only to those 
whom he will save ; in conformity with this, as the 
Lord seems to have declared expressly through St. 
John : “ He that shall overcome, I will write upon him 
the name of my God, and the name of the city of my 
God.”f And who is this city of God but Mary ? as 
St. Gregory explains, commenting on this passage of 
David : “ Glorious things are said of thee, oh city of 
God.”J 

We may, then, well say with St. Paul : “ Having 
this seal, the Lord knoweth who are his.”§ Whoso- 
ever carries the seal of a servant of Mary, is ac- 
knowledged by God as his own. We read in St. 
Bernard, that devotion to the mother of God is the 
most certain sign that we shall obtain eternal salva- 

* Qui acquirunt gratiam Manse, agnoscentur a civibus para- 
disi et qui habuerit caracterem ejus, adnotabitur in libro vitae. 
In. Spec. 

t Qui vicerit .... scribam super eum nomen Dei mei, et 
nomen civitatis Dei mei. Apoc. iii. 12. 

X Gloriosa dicta sunt de te, ci vitas Dei. Psal. Ixxxvi. 3. 

§ Ilabens signaculum hoc, cognovit Dominus qui sunt ejus. 
2 Tim. ii. 19. 


286 


GLORIES OF. MARY. 


tion.* And the blessed Alanus, speaking of the 
“Hail Mary,” says that he who often invokes the 
Virgin with this angelical salutation, has a very cer- 
tain sign of predestination.j- And again he says of 
perseverance in the daily recitation of the holy rosary : 
Let it he to thee a most probable sign of eternal 
salvation, if thou dost perseveringly honor the blessed 
Virgin by daily reciting her rosary. J Father Nie- 
rembergh still further remarks, that the servants of the 
mother of God not only are more privileged and fa- 
vored in this world, but also in heaven will be more 
especially honored. And he adds, that in heaven 
they will have a peculiarly rich device and livery, by 
which they will be known as servants of the queen of 
heaven and as the people of her court, according to 
those words of Proverbs : “ All her domestics are 
clothed with double garments. ”§ 

St. Mary Magdalen of Pazzi saw a small vessel in 
the midst of the sea, in which all the servants of Mary 
had taken shelter ; she herself steering it, safely con- 
ducted them to port. By this the saint understood 
that they who live under the protection of Mary, are 
rescued, in the midst of all the dangers of this life, 
from the shipwreck of sin, and from damnation, for 

* Certissimum est signum salutis seternse consequendse. 

f Habentes devotionem banc, signum est praedestinationis per- 
magnum ad gloriam. P. 2, Ros. c. 11. 

\ Signum sit tibi probabilissimum seternae salutis, si perscvc- 
ranter in die beatam virginem in Psalterio salutaveris. P. 44, 
de Psalt. c. 44. 

§ Omnes domestici ejus vestiti sunt duplicibus. xxxi. 21. 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


287 


by lier they are guided in safety to the port of para- 
dise. Let us, then, strive to enter this blessed little 
vessel of the mantle of Mary, and there let us dwell 
secure of the kingdom of heaven; for the Church 
sings, “ Holy mother of God, all those who are to be 
partakers of eternal joy dwell with thee, and live 
under thy protection.”* 

EXAMPLE. 

Cesarius relates, f that a certain Cistercian monk, who 
was a devoted servant of our blessed Lady, desired 
very earnestly a visit from his dear Lady, and was 
praying her continually to grant him this favor. He 
went one night into the garden, and while he stood 
there looking up to heaven, breathing forth to his 
queen in ardent sighs his desire to see her, a beautiful 
and radiant virgin descended, and said to him : 
“Thomas, wouldst thou like to hear me sing?” 
“ Certainly,” he answered ; and then she sang so 
sweetly that it seemed to the devout religious that he 
was in paradise. Having finished her song, she dis- 
appeared, leaving him absorbed with an ardent desire 
to know who it could have been ; and, soon after, 
another extremely beautiful ‘virgin appeared to him, 
who, like the first, allowed him the pleasure of hear- 
ing her sing. He could not refrain from asking 
this one who she was, and the virgin answered : 

* Sicut laetantium omnium habitatio est in te, sancta Dei 
genitrix. 

f Lib. 7, Dial. c. 3. 


288 GLORIES OF MARY. 

“ She whom you saw a little while ago was Catherine, 
and I am Agnes, both martyrs for Jesus Christ, sent 
by our Lady to console you. Give thanks to Mary, 
and prepare for a greater favor.” Having said this 
she disappeared, but left the religious with a greater 
hope of finally seeing his queen. Nor was he deceived, 
for shortly after he saw a great light and felt a new 
joy flowing into his heart, for in the midst of that 
light the mother of God appeared to him surrounded 
by angels, and of a beauty far surpassing that of the 
other two saints who had appeared to him. She said 
to him: “My dear servant and son, I have been 
pleased with the devotion which you have offered me, 
and have graciously heard your prayers : you have 
desired to see me ; look on me, and I will also sing to 
you.” Then the most holy Virgin began to sing with 
so great sweetness, that the devout religious lost his 
senses, and fell with his face upon the ground. The 
matin-bell sounded, the monks assembled, and not 
seeing Thomas, searched for him in his cell and other 
parts of the convent, and at last going into the garden 
they found him there, apparently lifeless. The supe- 
rior commanded him tp tell what had befallen him. 
And coming to himself,' by the power of obedience, 
he related all the favors which the divine mother had 
bestowed upon him. 

PRAYER. 

Oh queen of paradise ! mother of holy love ! for 
thou art of all creatures the most lovely, the most 


GLORIES OF MARY. 289 

beloved of God and his first lover ; ah, suffer the vilest 
and most ungrateful sinner on the earth to love thee, 
who sees himself released from hell by thy inter- 
cession, and without any merit of his own so blessed 
by thee, that he is enamored of thy goodness. I 
would wish, if I could, to make known to all men who 
do not know thee, how worthy thou art to be loved, 
that all might love and honor thee. I would willingly 
die for love of thee, in defending thy virginity, thy 
dignity as mother of God, and thy immaculate con- 
ception ; if it were ever needful for me to die in de- 
fence of these thy great privileges. Oh my most 
beloved mother, graciously accept this my affection, 
and do not permit that one of thy servants, who loves 
thee, should ever become an enemy of thy God, whom 
thou lovest so much. Ah, unhappy me, such once 
was I when I offended my Lord. But then, oh Mary, 
I did not love thee, and I sought little to be loved by 
thee. Now, after the grace of God, I desire nothing 
else than to love thee, and to be loved by thee. I 
do not despair of this on account of my past offences,, 
for I know that thou, oh most benign and grateful 
Lady, dost not disdain to love even the most miser- 
able sinners who love thee, and never dost allow 
thyself to be outdone in love by any one. Oh most 
lovely queen, I wish to go to thee in paradise, there 
to love thee. There, at thy feet, I shall better know 
how amiable thou art, and how much thou hast done 
to save me ; therefore I shall love thee there with 
greater love, and shall love thee eternally, without the 
25 


290 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


fear that I shall ever cease to love thee. Oh Mary, 
I have the certain hope of being saved through thee. 
Pray to Jesus for me. I have no other wish. It is 
thine to save me ; thou art my hope. I will always 
exclaim, Oh Mary, my hope, thou must save me. 


CHAPTER IX. 

O CLEMENS! O PIA! 

Oh clement! Oh merciful! 

HOW GREAT IS THE CLEMENCY AND MERCY OF MARY. 

St. Bernard, speaking of the great mercy of Mary 
for us poor sinners, says that she is the very Land 
promised by God, flowing with milk and honey.* 
St. Leo says, that to the Virgin has been given 
such bowels of compassion, that she not only merits 
to be called merciful, but should be called mercy 
itself, f And St. Bonaventure, considering that Mary 
was made the mother of God for the sake of us 
sinners, and that to her was committed the charge 
of dispensing mercies ; and considering, moreover, the 
great care she has for all those in misery, which ren- 
•ders her so rich in compassion, that she appears to 

* Terra repromissionis Maria lacte et melle manans. Serm. 
sup. Salv. Reg. 

t Maria adeo praedita est misericordise visceribus, ut non 
tamen misericors, sed ipsa misericordia dici promereatur. Serm. 

1, de Nat. Dom. 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


291 


desire nothing else than to relieve the necessitous, 
says, that when he looked on Mary, it seemed to him 
that he no longer beheld the divine justice, but only 
the divine mercy, with which Mary is filled.* 

In a word, the mercy of Mary is so great, that as 
Guerric the Abbot says : Her bowels of love can 
never for a moment cease to bring forth for us the 
fruits of mercy, f And what, exclaims St. Bernard, 
can flow J)ut mercy from a fountain of mercy ? “ Quid 
de fonte pietatis nisi pietas?”j; For this reason Mary 
was called the olive-tree : As a fair olive-tree in the 
plains: “Quasi oliva speciosa in campis.”§ For, as 
the olive-tree produces nothing but oil, the symbol 
of mercy, thus from the hands of Mary nothing but 
graces and mercies proceed. Hence, justly, says the 
venerable Louis da Ponte, is Mary called the mother 
of oil, since she is the mother of mercy. || If, then, 
we have recourse to this mother, and ask of her the 
oil of her mercy, we cannot fear that she will refuse 
us, as the wise virgins refused the foolish, answering : 
“ Lest there be not enough for us and for you.”^[ Ho, 

* Certe, Domina, cum te aspicio, nihil nisi misericordiam 
cerno; nam pro miseris mater Dei facta es, et tibi officium 
miserendi commissum. Undique sollicita es de miseris, miseri- 
cordia vallaris ; solum misereri videris appetere. Stim. Am. 

t Cujus viscera nunquam desistunt fructum parturire pietatis. 
Serm. 1, de Assum. 

X Serm. 1, in Dom. p. Ep. 

§ Eccli. xxiv. 19. 

|| Merito dici potest mater olei, nam est mater misericordiae. 
Lib. 1, in Cant. 

1 Ne forte non sufficiat nobis et vobis. Matth. xxv. 9. 


292 GLORIES OF MARY. 

for she is, indeed, rich in that oil of mercy, as St. 
Bonaventure remarks: Mary abounds in the oil of 
mercy : “ Maria plena oleo pietatis.”* * * § She is called 
by the Church not only prudent, but most prudent, 
and by this we may understand, as Hugo of St. 
Victor says, that Mary is so full of grace and mercy 
that there is enough for all without exhausting 
her.f 

But why, I would ask, is it said that this fair olive 
is in the midst of the plains, and not rather in a gar- 
den surrounded by walls and hedges ? Cardinal Hugo 
answers to this question : In order that all may easily 
see her, and thus may easily have recourse to her, to 
obtain relief for their necessities. J St. Antoninus 
confirms this beautiful thought, when he says : That 
as all can go and gather the fruit of an olive-tree that 
is exposed in the open fields, so all, both the just and 
sinners, can have recourse to Mary to obtain mercy.§ 
And then the saint adds : Oh how many sentences of 
punishment have been revoked through the merciful 
prayers of this most holy Virgin, in favor of sinners 


* Maria plena oleo pietatis. In Spec. cap. 7. 

t Gratia plena, et in tantum plena, ut ex tua redundante oleo 
totus mundus hauriat. Si enim prudentes Yirgines oleum 
acceperunt in vasis cum lampadibus, tu prudentissima Virgo 
gestasti vas redundans et indeficiens, ex quo, effuso oleo miseri- 
cordise, omnium lampades illuminares. 

\ Ut omnes earn respiciant, omnes ad earn confugiant. 

§ Ad olivam in campis omnes possunt accedere, et accipere 
fructum ejus. Ad Mariam et justi et peccatores possunt acce- 
dere, ut inde misericordiam accipiant. P. 3, tit. 81, c. 4. 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


293 


wlio have had recourse to her !* * * § And what more se- 
cure refuge can we find, says the devout Thomas a Kem- 
pis, than the compassionate heart of Mary ? There the 
poor find shelter ; the sick medicine ; the afflicted con- 
solation ; the doubtful counsel ; the abandoned help.f 
Wretched should we be, if we had not this mother 
of mercy, mindful and solicitous to help us in our 
miseries! “ Where there is no wife,” says the Holy 
Spirit, “ he moumeth that is in want.”J This wife, re- 
marks St. John Damascene, is certainly Mary, without 
whom the sick man suffers and moums.§ So, indeed, 
it is, since God has ordained that all graces should 
he dispensed by the prayers of Mary : where these 
are wanting, there is no hope of mercy, as our Lord 
signified to St. Bridget, saying to her : “ Unless 
Mary interposes by her prayers, there is no hope of 
mercy. ”|| 

But perhaps we fear that Mary does not see or pity 
our miseries. Oh, no ! she sees them and feels them 
more than we do ourselves. And who among the 
saints can be found, says St. Antoninus, who pities us 

* 0 quot sententias flagellorum propter peccata hsec sanctis- 
sima Virgo misericorditer revocavit ! 

t Non est tutior locus ad latendura, quam sinus Marias. Ibr 
pauper habet domicilium, ibi infirmus invenit remedium, tristfe 
solatium ; ibi turbatus consilium, ibi destitutus acquirit juva- 
mentura. 

% Ubi non est mulier ingemiscit egens. Eccli. xxxvi. 27. 

§ Ingemiscit infirmus, ubi non fuerit bsec sanctissima mater. 

|| Nisi preces Marias intervenirent, non esset spes misericor- 
dioe. Rev. 1. 6, c. 26. 


25 * 


294 GLORIES OF MARY. 

in our miseries as Mary does ?* * * § Hence, wlierever she 
sees misery she cannot refrain from hastening to re- 
lieve it with her great compassion, f Thus Richard of 
St. Victor remarks, and Mendoza confirms it by saying : 
Therefore, oh blessed Virgin, wherever thou seest mise- 
ry, there thou dost pour forth thy mercies.]; And our 
good mother, as she herself declares, will never cease 
to exercise this office of mercy : And unto the world to 
come I shall not cease to be ; and in the holy dwelling- 
place, I have ministered before liim.§ Upon which 
words Cardinal Hugo remarks : I will not cease, says 
Mary, even to the end of the world, to succor men in 
their miseries, and to pray for sinners, that they may 
be saved and rescued from eternal misery. || 

Suetonius relates of the Emperor Titus, that he was 
so desirous to grant favors to those who asked them 
of him, that on those days when he had no opportunity 
of doing so, he would say, sorrowfully, I have lost a 
day: “Diem perdidi.” This day has been lost to 
me, because I have passed it without benefiting any 
one. Probably Titus said this more through vanity, 

* Non reperitur aliquis sanctorum ita compati in infirmitati- 
bus, sicut mulier baec beatissima Virgo Maria. P. 4, 1. 15, c. 2. 

t Ubicumque fuerit miseria, tua currit et succurrit misericordia. 
In Cant. 4, 5. 

% Itaque, 0 B. Virgo, ubi miserias invenis, ibi tuas misericor- 
dias effundis. Cap. 4, 1, Reg. 

§ Et usque ad futurum sseculum non desinam, ut in habita- 
tione sancta coram ipso ministravi. Eccli. xxiv. 1 4. 

1 Usque ad futurum saeculum, id est beatorum, non desinam 
miseriis subvenire, et pro peccatoribus orare. 


GLORIES OP MARY. 


295 


or a desire for esteem, than through a movement of 
charity. But our Empress Mary, if a day should ever 
pass in which she did not confer some favor, would 
say it only because she is full of charity, and of a 
desire to do us good ; for as Bernardine de Bustis says, 
she is more desirous to confer favors on us, than we 
are to receive them from her.* And this same au- 
thor adds, that when we have recourse to her, we 
shall always find her with her hands full of mercy and 
liberality, f 

Rebecca was the type of Mary, who, when the 
servant of Abraham asked her for a little water, an- 
swered that she would give him water enough not 
only for himself, but for his camels also.J Hence 
the devout St. Bernard, addressing the blessed Virgin, 
says : Oh Lady, not to the servant of Abraham only, 
but also to his camels give from thy overflowing 
pitcher.§ By which he intends to say: Oh Lady, 
thou art merciful and more liberal than Rebecca, 
therefore thou dost not rest contented with dispensing 
the favors of thy unbounded compassion to the ser- 
vants of Abraham alone, by whom are meant the faith- 
ful servants of God, but thou dost bestow them also on 


* Plus vult ilia bonum tibi facere et largiri gratiam, quam tu 
accipere concupiscas. . Mar. p. 1, Serm. 5, de Nov. Mar. 

t Invenies earn in manibus plenam misericordia etliberalitate. 
Loc. cit. 

X Quin et camelis tuis bauriam aquam, donee cuncti bibant. 
Gen. xxiv. 19. 

§ Domina, nec puero Abrabse tantum, sed et camelis tribue 
do supereffluente hydria tua. Serm. Sup. Miss. 


296 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


the camels, who represent sinners. And, as Rebecca 
gave more than she was asked, so Mary bestows more 
than we pray for. The liberality of Mary, says Rich- 
ard of St. Laurence, resembles the liberality of her 
Son, who always gives more than is asked, and is 
therefore named by St. Paul : “ Rich to all that call 
upon him that is, giving abundantly his graces to 
all those that have recourse to him with their prayers. 
Hear the words of Richard : The bounty of Mary is 
like the bounty of her Son ; she gives more than is 
asked.f Hence a devout author, addressing the Virgin, 
says : Oh Lady, pray for me, for thou wilt ask favors 
for me with greater devotion than I can do ; and thou 
wilt obtain from God graces greater by far than I can 
pray for.J 

When the Samaritans refused to receive Jesus Christ 
and his doctrine, St. James and St. John said to their 
Master : “ Lord, wilt thou that we command fire to come 
down from heaven and consume them ?” Rut the Sa- 
viour answered : “You know not of what spirit you 
are.”§ As if he had said: I am of so mild and 
merciful a spirit, that I have come from heaven to 
save, not to punish sinners, and would you wish to see 
them lost? What fire? What punishment? Be 

* Dives in omnes qui invocant ilium. Rom. x. 12. 

f Largitas Mari* * * § assimilat largitatem filii sui; dat amplius 
quam petatur. De Laud. Virg. 

\ Majori devotione orabis pro me, quam ego auderem petere ; 
et majora milxi impetrabis quam petere praesumam. 

§ Noscitis cujus spiritus estis. Luc. ix. 55. 


GLORIES OF MARY. 297 

silent, speak to me no more of punishment, that is not 
my spirit. But we cannot doubt that Mary, whose 
spirit is in every thing so like that of her Son, is wholly 
inclined to exercise mercy ; for, as she told St. Bridget, 
she is called the mother of mercy, and the mercy of 
God itself has made her so compassionate and sweet 
towards all.* * * § Wherefore Mary was seen by St. John 
clothed with the sun : “ And there appeared a great 
wonder in heaven, a woman clothed with the sun.”f 
Upon which passage St. Bernard remarks, address- 
ing the Virgin : Thou hast clothed the sun, and art 
thyself clothed with it.J Oh Lady, thou hast clothed 
the sun, the divine Word, with human flesh, but he 
hath clothed thee with his power and his mercy. 

So compassionate, then, and kind is this queen, says 
St. Bernard, that when a sinner recommends him- 
self to her mercy, she does not begin to examine his 
merits, and whether he is worthy or not of being 
heard, but she graciously hears all and succors them.§ 
Hence St. Idelbert remarks, that Mary is called fair 
as the moon : “ Pulchra ut Luna ;”|| because, as 
the moon illuminates and benefits the smallest bodies 
upon the earth, so Mary enlightens and helps the most 

* Ego vocor mater misericordiae, et vero misericordia illius 
misericordem me fecit. Eev. 1. 1, c. 6. 

+ Et signum magnum apparuit in coelo, mulier amicta sole. 
Apoc. xii. 1. 

% Vestis solem, et vestiris ab eo. 

§ Non discutit merita, sed omnibus exorabilem se praebet. 
Serm. in Sign. Magn. 

|| Cant. 6, 9. 


298 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


unworthy sinners.* * * § And although the moon receives 
all her light from the sun, she moves more quickly 
than the sun ; for, as a certain author remarks, what 
the sun does in a year, the moon does in a month, f 
Hence, says St. Anselm : Our relief is sometimes more 
immediate when the name of Mary is invoked than 
when we invoke the name of Jesus. J Wherefore 
Hugo of St. Victor tells us, that if by reason of our 
sins we fear to draw near to God, because he is an in- 
finite majesty that we have offended, we should not 
hesitate to have recourse to Mary, because in her we 
shall find nothing to alarm us. She is indeed holy, 
immaculate, queen of the world, and mother of God ; 
but she is of our flesh, and a child of Adam, like our- 
selves^ 

In a word, says St. Bernard, whatever appertains 
to Mary is full of grace and mercy ; for she, as mother 
of mercy, lias become all things to all, and by her 
great charity has made herself a debtor to the just and 
to sinners, and opens to all the bowels of her compas- 
sion, that all may share it.|| As “the Devil,” ac- 


* Pulclira ut luna quia pulcbrum est benefacere indignis. 
Epist. 26. 

f Quod sol facit in anno, luna facit in mense. Jo. di Minian. 
1. 1, de Ccel. c. 3. 

X Velocior nonnumquam est nostra salus, invocato nomine 
Marise, quam invocato nomine Jesu. De Excell. Virg. c. 6. 

§ Si pertimescis ad Deiun accedere, respice ad Mariam ; non 
illic invenis quod timeas, genus tuum vides. 

| Qu 89 ad earn pertinent, plena omnia pietatis et gratia). Deni- 
que omnia omnibus facta est, sapientibus et insipientibus copio- 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


299 


cording to St. Peter, “ goetti about seeking whom he 
may devour,”* so, on the contrary, says Bernardine de 
Bustis, Mary goeth about seeking to whom she can 
give life and salvation, f 

We should understand that the protection of Mary, as 
St. Germanus says, is greater and more powerful than 
we can comprehend.]; And how is it that the same 
Lord, who was under the old law so severe in punish- 
ing, exercises so great mercy towards the greatest sin- 
ners ? Thus asks the author del Pomerio^§ and he also 
answers : He does all this for the love and merits of 
Mary. || Oh, how long since would the world have 
been destroyed, says St. Fulgentius, if Mary had not 
preserved it by her intercession !®[[ But we may with 
confidence go to God, as St. Arnold Camotensis as- 
serts, and hope for every blessing, now that the Son 
is our mediator with the divine Father, and the mother 
with the Son. How can it be that the Father will 
refuse to hear graciously the Son, when he shows him 

sissima charitate debitricem se fecit. Omnibus misericordice 
suae sinum aperit, ut de plenitudine ejus accipiant omnes. Su- 
per Sign. Magn. 

* Circuit quaerens quem devoret. Ep. 1, c. 5. 

t Ipsa semper circuit, quaerens quem salvet. Marial. p. 3, 
Serm. 3. 

X Patrocinium tuum majus est, quam apprehendi possit. De 
Zona. Virg. 

§ Quare parcit nunc mundo ipse Deus, qui olim multo his 
minora peccata acrius punivit? Ap. P. Pepe. Grand, etc. 

|| Totum hoc facit propter B. Virginem, et ejus merita. 

Tf Coelum et terra jamdudum ruissent, si Maria suis precibus 
non sustentasset. 


300 GLORIES OF MARY. 

the wounds he has received for sinners ? And how 
can it be that the Son will not graciously hear the 
mother, when she shows him the breasts from which 
she has nourished us ?* St. Peter Chrysologus says 
with great energy, that this favored Virgin, having 
received God in her womb, demands in return, peace 
for the world, salvation for the lost, life for the dead.f 
Oh how many, exclaims the Abbot of Celles, wl o 
merit to be condemned by the divine justice, are saved 
by the mercy of Mary ! for she is the treasure of God 
and the treasurer of all graces; therefore it is that 
our salvation is in her hands.]; Let us always then 
have recourse to this mother of mercy, and confidently 
hope to be saved by means of her intercession ; since 
she, as Bernardine de Bustis encourages us to be- 
lieve, is our salvation, our life, our hope, our coun- 
sel, our refuge, our help.§ Mary is that very throne 
of grace, says St. Antoninus, to which the apostle 
exhorts us to have recourse with confidence, that we 
may obtain the divine mercy, with all needed help for 

* Securum accession jam habet homo ad Deum, ubi mediato- 
rem causse suse filium habet ante Patrem, et ante filium, matrem. 
Christus ostendit Patri latus et vulnera, Maria Christo pectus, et 
ubera. De Laud. Virg. 

t Una puella sic Deum in sui pectoris capit hospitio, ut pacem 
terris, salutem perditis, vitam mortuis, pro ipsa domo exigat 
pensionem. Serm. 140. 

X Saspe quos justitia filii potest damnare, mater misericordise 
liberat. Thesaurus Domini est, et thesauraria gratiarum. Salus 
nostra in manu iUius est. Prolog, in Contempl. Virg. 

§ Hsec est nostra salus, vita, spes, consilium, refugium, auxili- 
um nostrum. P. 1, Ser. 6, de Com. Mar. 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


301 


our salvation.* To the throne of grace, that is, tc 
Mary, as St. Antoninus remarks.f Hence, Mary was 
called by St. Catherine of Sienna : The dispenser of 
divine mercy : “ Administratrix misericordise.” 

Let us conclude, then, with the beautiful and sweet 
exclamation of St. Bernard upon the words: Oh 
clement, oh merciful, oh sweet Virgin Mary : “ 0 
clemens, 0 pia, 0 dulcis Virgo Maria.” Oh Mary, 
thou art clement to the unhappy, merciful to those 
who pray to thee, sweet to those who love thee: 
clement to the penitent, merciful to the advancing, 
sweet to the perfect. Thou showest thyself clement 
by rescuing us from punishment, merciful by bestow- 
ing on us graces, sweet by giving thyself to those who 
seek thee.J 


EXAMPLE. 

Father Charles Bovius relates that in Domans, in 
France, lived a married man who had held a criminal 
connection with another woman. Now the wife being 
unable to endure this, continually besought God to 
punish the guilty parties; and one day in particu- 


* Adeamus cum fiducia ad thronum gratiae, ut misericordiam 
consequamur, ut gratiam inveniamus in auxilio opportuno. 
Hebr. iv. 16. 

t Ad thronum gratiae, scilicet ad Mariam. P. 4, t. 15, c. 
i4, s. r. 

X Clemens indigentibus, pia exorantibus, dulcis diligentibus. 
0 clemens poenitentibus, pia proficientibus, dulcis contemplan- 
tibus. 0 clemens liberando, 0 pia largiendo, 0 dulcis te donan- 
do. Sup. Salv. Reg. 

26 


302 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


lar went to an altar of the blessed Virgin, which 
was in a certain church, to implore vengeance upon 
the woman who had alienated her husband from her ; 
and this very woman went also every day to the 
same altar, to repeat a “ Hail Mary.” One night the 
divine mother appeared in a dream to the wife, who, 
on seeing her, began her accustomed petition: “ Jus- 
tice, mother of God, justice.” But the blessed Lady 
answered : “ Justice ! do you seek justice from me ? Go 
and find others to execute justice for you. It belongs 
not to me to do it for you. Be it known to you,” she 
added, “ that this very sinner offers every day a devo- 
tion in my honor, and that I cannot allow any sinner 
who does this, to suffer and be punished for his sins.” 
The next day the wife went to hear mass in the above- 
named church of our Lady, and on coming out met 
her husband’s friend ; at the sight of her she began 
to reproach her and call her a sorceress, who had 
even enchanted with her sorceries the blessed Virgin. 
“Be silent,” cried the people : “what are you saying?” 
“ I be silent !” she answered : “ what I say is only too 
true ; this night the Virgin appeared to me ; and when 
I implored justice of her, she answered me, that she 
could not grant it on account of a salutation which 
this wicked woman repeats daily in her honor.” 
They asked the woman what salutation she repeated 
to the mother of God. She answered that it was the 
“ Hail Mary ;” and then on hearing that the blessed 
Virgin had dealt with her so mercifully in return for 
that trivial act of devotion, she cast herself on the 


GLORIES OF MARY. 303 

ground before the sacred image, and there, in the 
presence of all the people, asked pardon for her scanda- 
lous life, and made a vow of perpetual continence. She 
afterwards put on a religious habit, built for herself a 
little cell near the church, where she retired, and perse- 
vered in continual penance until the day of her death. 

PRAYER. 

Oh mother of mercy! since thou art so compas- 
sionate, and hast so great a desire to do good to us 
sinners, and to satisfy our demands, I, the most 
wretched of all men, to-day have recourse to thy 
mercy, that thou mayest grant my requests. Let 
others ask what they will, health of body, wealth, or 
temporal advantages ; I come to ask of thee, oh Lady, 
those things which thou thyself dost most desire of 
me, and which are most conformable and most pleas- 
ing to thy sacred heart. Thou who wast so humble, 
obtain for me humility and love of contempt. Thou 
who wast so patient in the difficulties of this life, ob- 
tain for me patience in things contrary to my wishes. 
Thou who didst overflow with love to God, obtain for 
me the gift of a holy and pure love. Thou who wast 
all charity towards the neighbor, obtain for me charity 
towards all men, and especially towards those who are 
my enemies. Thou who wast wholly united to the 
divine will, obtain for me a perfect uniformity with the 
will of that God in all his dispositions concerning me. 
Thou, in a word, art the most holy of all creatures ; 
oh Mary, obtain for me the grace to become a saint. 


304 


GLORIES OF MARY 


Thy love is unfailing ; thou canst and wilt obtain all 
things for me. Nothing, then, can hinder me from 
receiving thy graces but my neglect to invoke thee, 
or my want of confidence in thy intercession. But 
thou thyself must obtain for me the grace to seek 
thee, and this grace of confidence in thy intercession. 
These two greatest gifts I ask from thee — from thee 
will I receive them — from thee do I confidently hope 
for them. Oh Mary ! Mary, my mother, my hope, my 
love, my life, my refuge, and my consolation. Amen. 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


305 


CHAPTER X. 

OH DULCIS VIRGO MARIA 1 . 

Oh sweet Virgin Mary ! 

HOW SWEET IS THE NAME OF MART IN LIFE AND IN DEATH ! 

The great name of Mary, which was given to the 
divine mother, was not found on the earth, neither was 
it invented by the mind or will of men, as were all 
other names that are in use among them ; but it came 
from heaven, and was given to the Virgin by divine 
ordinance, as St. Jerome,* St. Epiphanius,f St. An- 
toninus, J and others attest. The name of Mary was 
drawn from the treasury of the divinity, as Richard 
of St. Laurence says :§ “ De thesauro divinitatis Marise 
nomen evolvitur.” From the treasury of the divinity, 
oh Maiy, came forth thy excellent and admirable 
name ; for the Most Holy Trinity, the same author 
goes on to say, gave to thee this name, next to the 
name of thy Son, so superior to every name, and at- 
tached to it such majesty and power, that when it is 
uttered, all in heaven, earth, and hell must fall pros- 

f Or. de Prses. Deip. 

§ De Laud. Virg. p. 14. 


* Lib. de Nat. Mar. 
X Hist, tit^i, c. 6. 


26 * 


306 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


trate and venerate it.'* Among all the other privi- 
leges which the Lord has attached to the name of 
Mary, let us see how sweet he has made it to the 
servants of this most holy Lady in life as well as in 
death. 

To begin with life, the holy anchorite, Honorius, 
says, that the name of Mary is full of all divine sweet- 
ness.f And the glorious St. Anthony of Padua at- 
tributes to the name of Maiy the same sweetness as 
St. Bernard attributed to the name of Jesus. The 
name of Jesus, said the latter, the name of Mary, said 
the former, is joy to the heart, honey to the mouth, 
melody to the ear of their devoted servants. £ It is 
related in the life of the venerable Father John 
Ancina, Bishop of Saluzzo, that when he pronounced 
the name of Mary, he experienced so great a sensible 
sweetness that he even tasted it on his lips! We also 
read that a certain woman in Cologne told the Bishop 
Marsilius, that whenever she pronounced the name of 
Mary she perceived in her mouth a taste sweeter than 
honey. Marsilius made the trial, and he also expe- 
rienced the same sweetness. We read in the holy 
Canticles, that at the Assumption of the Virgin, the 
angels three times asked her name “Who is she that 

* Dedit tibi, Maria, tota Trinitas nomen post nomen filii tni 
supra omne nomen; ut in nomine tuo omne genuflectatur, 
coelestium, terrestrium, et infernorum. De Laud. y. 1.1, c. 2. 

t Hoc nomen Marias plenum est omni dulcedine ac suavitate 
divina. 

X Nomen Jesu .... Nomen Mariae jubilus in corde, mel in 
ore, in aure melos. % 


• GLORIES OF MARY. 307 

goeth up by the desert as a pillar of smoke?”* * * § 
“ Who is she that cometh forth as the morning; ris- 
ing ?”f And in another : “ Who is this that cometh 
up from the desert, flowing with delights ?”J Richard 
of St. Laurence inquires why the angels so often 
asked the name of this queen, and answers: The 
sound of the name of Mary was so sweet to the angels, 
and they repeated the question that they might hear 
it repeated also.§ 

But I do not here speak of this sensible sweetness, 
since it is not commonly granted to all, but I speak of 
the salutary sweetness of consolation, love, joy, con- 
fidence, and strength, which the name of Mary uni- 
versally gives to those who, with devotion, pronounce 
it. Speaking on this subject, Francone the Abbot 
says, that next to the holy name of Jesus, the name 
of Mary is so rich in blessings, that no other name is 
uttered on earth or in heaven from which devout souls 
receive so much grace, hope, and sweetness. |] For 
the name of Mary, he goes on to say, contains in itself 

* Quae est ista, quae ascendit per desertum, sicut virgula 
fumi ? C. iii. 6. 

f Quae est ista, quae progreditur, quasi aurora consurgens? 
C. vi. 9. 

X Quae est ista, quae ascendit de deserto deliciis affluens ? 
viii. 5. 

§ Forsitan, quia dulce nomen sibi desiderant responderi. 
Dc Laud. Virg. c. 2. 

|| Neque enim post filii nomen aliud nomen coelum et terra 
nominat, unde tantum gratiae, spei, et suavitatis piae mentes 
coneipiant. De Grat. Nov. Test. tr. 6. 


308 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


something admirable, sweet, and divine, which, when 
it meets a friendly heart, breathes into it an odor of 
holy sweetness. And the wonder of this great name 
is, he concludes, that if heard a thousand times by the 
lovers of Mary, it is always heard as new, the sweet- 
ness they experience in hearing it spoken being al- 
ways the same.* 

The blessed Henry Suso, also speaking of this 
sweetness, says, that in pronouncing the name of 
Mary, he felt his confidence so much increased, and 
his love so joyfully enkindled, that amidst the joy and 
tears with which he pronounced the beloved name, he 
thought his heart would have leaped from his mouth ; 
and he affirmed that this most sweet name, as honey- 
comb, melted into the depths of his soul. Whereat he 
exclaims : Oh most sweet name ! oh Mary, what must 
thou thyself be, if thy name alone is so lovely and 
sweet ? 

The enamored St. Bernard, too, addressing his good 
mother with tenderness, says to her: Oh great, oh 
merciful Mary, most holy Virgin, worthy of all praise, 
thy name is so sweet and lovely that it cannot be 
spoken without enkindling love to thee and to God in 
the heart of him who pronounces it ; the thought of 
it alone is enough to console thy lovers, and inflame 

* Nomen namque Mari* mirum quid, suave, atque divi- 
num in se continet, et cum convenit amicis cordibus, amicse 
suavitatis odorem spiret. Et mirum illud est de nomine Ma- 
ri*, ut millies auditum semper audiatur quasi novum. De. 
grat. Nov. Test. tr. 6. 


GLORIES OF MART. 


309 


them with a far greater love to thee.* * * § If riches are 
a consolation to the poor, because by them they are 
relieved of their miseries, oh how much more, says 
Richard of St. Laurence, does thy name console us 
sinners, oh Mary ; far more than the riches of earth it 
relieves us in the troubles of the present life.f 

In a word, thy name, oh mother of God, is full of 
grace and divine blessings, as St. Methodius says.J 
And St. Bonaventure affirms that thy name cannot 
be pronounced but it brings some grace to him who 
devoutly utters it.§ So great is the virtue of thy 
name, oh most compassionate Virgin, says the Idiot, 
that no one can pronounce it, however hardened, how- 
ever desponding may be his heart, and not find it 
wonderfully softened ; for it is thou who dost console 
sinners with the hope of pardon and of grace. || Thy 
most sweet name, according to St. Ambrose, is a sweet 

ointment, which breathes the fragrance of divine grace.^f 

** 

* 0 magna, 0 pia, 0 multum laudabilis Maria, tu nec nomi- 
nari potes quin accendas; nec cogitari, quin recrees affectus 
diligentium te. Ap. S. Bon. Spec. c. 8. 

t Mariae nomen longe melius quam divitiae, quia melius an- 
gustiam relevat. De Laud. Virg. c. 2. 

X Tuum, Dei genitrix, nomen divinis benedictionibus et gra- 
tiis ex omni parte refertum. Orat. in Hyp. 

§ Nomen tuum devote nominari non potest sine nominantis 
utilitate. Spec. B. Virg. c. 8. 

| Tanta est virtue tui sacratissimi nominis, semper benigna 
Virgo Maria, quod mirabiliter emollit duritia cordis humani. 
Peccator per te respirat in spe veniae et gratiae. Idiot, ap. Alph. 
Mar. p. 827. 

T[ Unguentum nomen tuum. Descendat istud unguentum in 


310 GLORIES OF MARY. 

The saint thus invokes the divine mother : May this 
oil of salvation descend into the depths of our soul ; 
by which he intends to say : Oh Lady, remind us often 
to pronounce thy name with love and confidence ; for 
thus to name thee, either is a sign that we already 
possess divine grace, or it is an earnest that we shall 
soon recover it. 

For as Landolph of Saxony expresses it : The re- 
membrance of thy name, oh Mary, consoles the 
afflicted, brings back the wanderer to the path of 
salvation, encourages the sinner, and saves him from 
despair;* and Father Pelbart remarks, that as Jesus 
Christ by his five wounds has prepared for the world 
the remedy for its woes, thus also Mary, with her most 
holy name, which is composed of five letters, confers 
every day pardon upon sinners. f 

For this reason, the holy name of Mary in the sa- 
cred Canticles is compared to oil : Thy name is as 
oil poured out : “ Oleum effusum nomen tuum.”J 
The blessed Alanus, commenting on this passage, 
says : The glory of her name is compared to oil 
poured out. As oil heals the sick, diffuses odor, and 
kindles flame ; thus the name of Mary heals sin- 

animae preoscordia, S. Maria, quo divinas gratiae spiramenta re- 
doleam. De Instit. Virg. c. 13. 

* 0 Maria, tui recordatio nominis moestos laetificat, err antes 
ad viam salutis revocat, et peccatores ne desperent confortat. 
In vita Christ, p. 2, c. 86. 

t Sic Maria suo sanctissimo nomine, quod quinque litteris 
constat, confert quotidie veniam peccatoribus. Stellar, a. 2. 

% Cant. i. 2. 


311 


GLORIES OF MARY. 

ners, rejoices hearts, and inflames them with divine 
love.* * * § Hence Richard of St. Laurence encourages 
sinners to invoke this great name, because that alone 
will be sufficient to cure all their maladies ; adding, 
that there is no disease so malignant that it will not at 
once yield to the virtue of this name.f 

On the other hand, the devils, as Thomas a Kempis 
affirms, are in such fear of the queen of heaven that 
at the sound of her great name they flee from him 
who pronounces it as,/rom burning fire.J The Virgin 
herself revealed to Sfo f Bridget that there is no sinner 
living so cold in diy^ne love, that if he invokes her 
holy name, with thd, resolution to amend, the devil 
will not instantly depart from him.§ And she at 
another time assured her of this, telling her that all 
the demons so greatly venerate and fear her name, 
that when they hear it pronounced they immediately 
release the soul which they held in their chains. || 


* Gloria nominis ejus oleo effuso comparatur. Oleum aegro- 
tantem sanat, odorem parit, flammam accendit. In Cant. 1, 2. 

+ Peccator es ? ad nomen Marise confugias ; ipsum solum suf- 
ficit ad medendum. Nulla pestis, quae ad nomen Mariae non 
cedat continuo. De Laud. Yirg. p. 14. 

% Expavescunt coeli reginam spiritus maligni, et diffugiunt, 
audito nomine sancto ejus, velut ab igne. Serin. 4, p. 3, ad 
Novit. 

§ Nullus est in hac vita tarn frigidus ab amore Dei, qui si in- 
vocaverit nomen meum, cum proposito poenitendi, statim diabo- 
lus ab ipso non discedat. Eev. lib. 1, c. 9. 

|| Omnes daemones verentur hoc nomen, et timent, qui audi- 
entes hoc nomen Mariae, statim relinquunt animam de unguibus, 
quibus tenebant earn. Eev. 1. 2, c. 19. 


312 


GLORIES OF MARY. 

And as the rebel angels depart from sinners who 
invoke the name of Mary, thus, on the contrary, our 
Lady herself told St. Bridget, that the good angels 
draw more closely around those just souls who de- 
voutly pronounce it.* And St. Germanus assures us, 
that as breathing is a sign of life, so the frequent 
utterance of the name of Mary is a sign that we are 
already living in divine grace, or that we shall soon 
receive that life ; for this powerful name is effectual to 
obtain help and life for him who devoutly invokes it.f 
Finally, Richard of St. Laurence adds, that this ad- 
mirable name is like a tower of strength, by taking 
shelter in which the sinner will be saved from death, 
since from this celestial tower the most abandoned 
sinners come forth securely defended and saved.J 

A tower of strength, thus continues the same 
Richard, which not only shields sinners from punish- 
ment, but also defends the just from the assaults of 
hell ; and he adds : Next to the name of Jesus there is 
no name which gives such support, and through 
which so great salvation is bestowed upon men, as 


* Angeli boni, audito nomine meo, justis magis propinquant. 
Ap. Dion. Cart, de Laud. V. cap. ult. 

t Quomodo corpus enim vitalis signum operationis babet 
respirationem, ita sanctissimum nomen tuum, 0 Virgo, quod 
in ore servorum tuorum versatur assidue, vitse et auxilii non 
solum est signum, sed etiam ea procurat et conciliat. De Zona 
Virg. 

. \ Turris fortissima nomen Dominse, ad ipsam fugiet peccator, 
et liberabitur. IIa3c defendit quoslibet, et quantumlibet pecca- 
tores. De Laud. Virg. 1. 11. 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


313 


this great name of Mary.* * * § Especially is it every- 
where known, and the servants of Mary daily ex- 
perience, that her great name gives strength to over- 
come temptations against chastity. The same author, 
remarking on the words of St. Luke : And the name 
of the Virgin was Mary : “ Et nomen Virginis Maria, 
says, that these two names, of Mary and of Virgin, 
are united by the evangelist to show that the name of 
this most pure Virgin can never be separated from 
chastity.]! Hence St. Peter Chrysologus says, that 
the name Mary is a sign of chastity : “ Nomen hoc 
indicium castitatis ;”§ meaning, that whoever is in doubt 
whether he has yielded to temptations against purity, 
if he remembers having invoked the name of Mary 
may be sure that he has not violated chastity. 

Let us, then, always follow the beautiful counsel 
of St. Bernard, who says : In every danger of 
losing divine grace let us think of Mary, let us 
invoke the name of Mary together with that of Je- 
sus, for these names are always united. Let these 
two most sweet and powerful names never depart 
from our heart and our lips, for they will always give 
us strength to keep us from falling, and to conquer 

* Non est in aliquo nomine tam potens adjutorium, nec est 
aliud nomen datum hominibus post nomen Jesu, ex quo tanta 
salus refundatur hominibus, sicut nomen Mariae. De Laud. 
Yirg. c. 2. 

f Luc. i. 27. 

\ Hoc nomen semper cum castitate conjunctum esse debet. 
Loc. cit. 

§ Serm. 146. • 


27 


314 


GLORIES OF MART. 


every temptation.* * * § Very precious are the graces 
which Jesus Christ hast promised to those who are 
devoted to the name of Mary, as he himself, speaking 
to his holy mother, gave St. Bridget to understand, re- 
vealing: to her that whoever will invoke the name of 
Mary with confidence and a purpose of amendment, 
shall receive three special graces : namely, a perfect 
contrition for his sins, the grace to make satisfaction 
for them and strength to obtain perfection, and at 
last, the glory of paradise ;f for as the divine Saviour 
added : “ Thy words are so sweet and dear to me, oh 
my mother, that I cannot refuse thee what thou dost 
ask.”* 

Finally, St. Ephrem adds that the name of Mary is 
the key of the gate of heaven to him who devoutly 
invokes it ;§ and therefore St. Bonaventure rightly 
calls Mary the salvation of all those who invoke her : 
“0 salus te invocantium as if it were the same 
thing to invoke the name of Mary and to obtain eter- 
nal salvation ; for as the Idiot affirms : The invocation 


* In periculis, in augustiis, in rebus dubiis Mariam cogita, 
Mariam invoca. Non recedat ab ore, non recedat a corde. 
Horn. 2, Sup. Miss. 

t Quicumque invocaverit nomen tuum, et in te sperabit cum 
proposito emendandi, tria illi dabuntur, contritio peccatorum, 
eorum satisfactio, etfortitudo ad proficiendum etinsuper regnum 
coelorum. Rev. 1. 1, c. 10. 

% Tanta enim est in me dulcedo verborum tuorum, quod ne- 
gare non valeo, quod tu petis. 

§ Nomen Mariae est reseratorium portae coeli. In Deprec ad 
Virg. 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


315 


of this holy and sweet name leads to the acquisition ot 
superabundant grace in this life, and sublime glory in 
another.* If you desire, then, brethren, concludes 
Thomas a Kempis, to be consoled in every affliction, 
have recourse to Mary, invoke Mary, honor Mary, rec- 
ommend yourselves to Mary. Rejoice with Mary, weep 
with Mary, pray with Mary, walk with Mary, and 
with Mary seek Jesus ; in a word, with Jesus and 
Mary desire to live and to die. Do this, he adds, and 
you will always advance in the way of the Lord ; for 
Mary will pray for you, and the Son will surely gra- 
ciously listen to the mother, f Such are his beautiful 
words. 

Very sweet, then, in life to her servants, is the most 
holy name of Mary, on account of the great graces 
which it obtains for them, as we have seen above; 
but sweeter still will it be to them in dying by the 
sweet and holy death she will obtain for them. 
Father Sertorio Caputo, of the Society of Jesus, ex- 
horted all those who were called to the bedside of 
the dying, often to pronounce the name of Mary, say- 

* Devota invocatio hujus nominis ducit ad virorem gratise 
in prsesenti, et ad virorem gloria) in futuro. De Laud. Virg. 
1. 2, c. 2. 

f Si eonsolari in omni tribulatione quaeritis, accedite ad Mari- 
am, Mariam invoeate, Mariam honorate, Marise vos commendate ; 
cum Maria gaudete, cum Maria dolete, cum Maria orate, cum 
Maria ambulate, cum Maria Jesum quserite ; cum Maria et Jesu 
vivere et mori desiderate. Fratres, si ista exercetis, proficietis. 
Maria pro vobis libenter orabit, et Jesus libenter matrem suam 
exaudiet. Serm. par. 3, Serm. 2. 


« 


316 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


ing that this name of life and of hope, pronounced in 
death, is alone sufficient to scatter the enemies and to 
comfort the dying in all their anguishes. St. Camillus 
of Lellis also strongly recommended it to his religious, 
that they should remind the dying often to invoke the 
name of Mary and of Jesus, as he always practised it 
with others ; but more sweetly he practised it himself 
at the moment of his death, when, as we read in his 
life, he named with so much tenderness his beloved 
names of Jesus and Mary, that he inflamed also with 
love of them all those who heard him. And at length, 
with his eyes fixed on their adorable image, and his 
arms crossed, the saint expired in celestial peace, pro- 
nouncing with his last breath the most sweet names 
of Jesus and Mary. This short prayer of invoking 
the holy names of Jesus and Mary, says Thomas a 
Kempis, which it is as easy to retain in the memory 
as it is sweet to consider, is at the same time powerful 
to protect whoever uses it from all the enemies of our 
salvation.* 

Blessed is he, says St. Bonaventure, who loves thy 
sweet name, oh mother of God.f Thy name is so 
glorious and admirable, that those who remember to 
invoke it at the moment of death, do not then fear all 
the assaults of the enemy.]; 


* Hasc brevis oratio, Jesus et Maria, facilis est ad tenendum, 
dulcis ad cogitandum, fortis ad protegendum. 
t Beatus vir qui diligit nomen tuum, Maria ! 

X Gloriosum et admirabile nomen tuum ; qui illud retinent, 
non expavescunt in puncto mortis. Spec. B. Virg. 


G-LORIES OF MARY. 


317 


Oh, the happy lot of dying as Father Fulgentms of 
Ascoli, a Capuchin, died, who expired singing: Oh 
Mary, Mary, the most lovely of all beings, let me 
depart in thy company. Or, as blessed Henry the 
Cistercian, of whom it is related in the annals of the 
order, that he died with the name of Mary on his 
lips.* Let us pray, then, my devout reader, let us 
pray God to grant us this grace, that the last word 
we pronounce at death may be the name of Mary ; 
as St. Germanus desired and prayed.f Oh sweet 
death, oh safe death, that is accompanied and pro- 
tected by such a name of salvation, that God does 
not permit it to be invoked in death, except by those 
whom he will save ! 

Oh, my sweet Lady and mother, I love thee much, 
and because I love thee, I love also thy holy name. 
I purpose and hope with thy aid always to invoke it 
in life and death. For the glory, then, of thy name 
(let us conclude with the tender prayer of St. Bona- 
venture), when my soul departs from this world, wilt 
thou come to meet it, oh blessed Lady, and take it in 
thy arms ?J Do not disdain, oh Mary, let us continue 
to pray with the saint, to come and comfort it, then, 
with thy sweet presence. Thou art its ladder and 
way to paradise. Wilt thou obtain for me the grace 


* Inter ipsam dulcissimi nominis articulationem. An. 1109. 
f Dei matris nomen sit miki ultimus linguae loquentis motus. 
Orat. 6, ad Ann. Yirg. 

X Propter honorem nominis tui in exitu animae meae de hoc 
mundo, occurre illi, domina, et suscipe earn. In Psalt. Deip. 

27* 


318 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


of pardon and eternal rest ?* And the saint then ter- 
minates with saying : Oh Mary, our advocate, to thee 
it belongs to shield thy servants, and defend their 
cause before the tribunal of Jesus Christ. f 

EXAMPLE. 

It is related by Father Rho, in his Sabbati, and by 
Father Lireo, in his Trisagio Mariana, of a certain 
young maiden of Guelder-land, who lived about the 
year 1465, that she was sent one day by her uncle to 
purchase something at the market of the city of Ni- 
meguen, with the direction to go and pass the night 
at the house of her aunt, who lived in the town. The 
girl obeyed, but when she went at night fo her aunt’s 
house, she was rudely sent away by her, and she set 
out on her way homewards. Night overtaking her, 
she fell into a passion, and called loudly upon the 
devil to come to her aid. And behold, he suddenly 
appeared in the form of a man, and promised to assist 
her, provided she would do one thing. I will do any 
thing, answered the unhappy creature. I only wish, 
said the enemy, that henceforth you will not bless 
yourself with the sign of the cross, and will change 
your name. As to the cross, she answered, I will no 
longer sign myself with it, but my name of Mary is 
too dear to me, I will not change it. Then I will not 

* Consolare earn vultu sancto tuo. Esto illi seal a et iter ad 
paradisum ; impetra ei indulgentiam pacis et sedem lucis. 

+ Sustine devotos, suscipe causas reorum ante tribunal 
Cbristi. 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


319 


help you, said the devil. At length, after much de- 
bate, it was agreed that she should be called by the 
first letter of the name of Mary, that is, Emme. 
They then went together to Antwerp, and the wretched 
girl -remained there six years with her diabolical com- 
panion, living so sinful a life, that it was the scandal 
of the whole place. One day she told the devil that 
she wished to see her country again ; the enemy ob- 
jected, but finally was obliged to consent. When they 
entered together the city of Nimeguen, there was just 
then performing a public representation of the life of 
the most holy Mary. At such a sight the poor Emme, 
from that little devotion she had still preserved to- 
wards the mother of God, began to weep. “ What 
are we doing here?” said her companion: “ would you 
perform here another comedy V* He then seized her 
to take her away, but she resisted, and seeing that 
she was escaping from him, in a rage he raised her 
into the air and let her fall in the midst of the theatre. 
The poor girl then related what had happened to her. 
She went to the parish priest to confess, but he sent 
her to the Bishop of Cologne, and the bishop sent her 
to the Pope, who, having heard her confession, im- 
posed it upon her as a penance, that she should wear 
three rings of iron, one around her neck, and two 
around her arms. The penitent obeyed, and having 
arrived at Maestricht, she retired into a convent of 
penitents, where she lived for fourteen years in severe 
penance. One morning she arose from her bed and 
found the three rings broken. Two years after, she 


320 GLORIES OF MART. 

died in the odor of sanctity, and wished to have the 
rings buried with her, which had changed her from a 
slave of hell into the happy slave of Mary, her de- 
liverer. 

PRAYER. 

Oh great mother of God, and my mother Mary, 
it is true that I am unworthy to pronounce thy name, 
but thou who lovest me, and dost desire my salvation, 
thou must obtain for me, that, unclean as may be 
my tongue, I may yet always invoke thy most holy 
and most powerful name ; for thy name is the support 
of the living, and the salvation of the dying. Ah, 
most pure Mary ! ah, most sweet Mary ! make thy 
name henceforth to be the breath of my life. Oh 
Lady, do not delay coming to my help when I call 
upon thee, since in all the temptations which may 
assail me, in all the necessities I may suffer, I shall 
never cease calling upon thee, always repeating Mary, 
Mary. Thus I hope to do in life, thus especially I 
hope to do in death, that I may afterwards come 
to praise eternally in heaven thy beloved name: 0 
clemens ! 0 pia ! O dulcis Virgo Maria ! Ah Mary ! 
Mary most amiable ! what comfort, what sweetness, 
what confidence, what tenderness does my soul feel 
only in pronouncing thy name, only in thinking of 
thee ! I thank my God and my Lord that he has 
given thee, for my good, this name so sweet, so lovely, 
so powerful. 

But, oh my Lady, I am not satisfied with merely 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


321 


pronouncing thy name, I would pronounce it also with 
love ; I desire that my love may remind me to speak 
thy name at every hour, that I may exclaim with St. 
Anselm : Oh name of the mother of God, thou art 
my love. 0 amor mei nomen matris Dei. 

Oh my dear mother Mary ! oh my beloved Jesus ! 
may your most sweet names always live in my own 
and in all hearts. May I forget all other names, that 
I may remember and always invoke none but your 
adored names. Ah Jesus, my Redeemer! and my 
mother Mary, when the moment of my death shall 
arrive, and my soul shall depart from this life, by 
your merits grant me the grace then to utter my last 
accents, repeating: I love you , Jesus and Mary ; 
Jesus and Mary, I give you my heart and my soul. 


SOME DEVOUT PRAYERS 


OF VARIOUS SAINTS 

TO THE HOLY MOTHER. 


The following prayers are added, not only for the use of the 
faithful, but also because they show the great idea which the 
saints entertained of the power and mercy of Mary, and their 
great confidence in her patronage. 

^raget* of St ijrem. 

Oh immaculate and wholly pure Virgin Mary ! 
mother of God, queen of the universe, our most excel- 
lent Lady, thou art superior to all the saints, thou art the 
only hope of the Fathers, and the joy of the blessed. 
By thee we have been reconciled to our God. Thou art 
the only advocate of sinners, the secure haven of the 
shipwrecked. Thou art the consolation of the world, 
the redemption of captives, the joy of the sick, the 
comfort of the afflicted, the refuge and salvation of 
the whole world. Oh great princess ! mother of God ! 
cover us with the wings of thy compassion : have pity 
on us. We have no hope but in thee, oh most pure 
Virgin! We are given to thee, and consecrated to 


GLORIES OF MART. 323 

thy service ; we bear the name of thy servants ; do 
not permit Lucifer to draw us down to hell. Oh im- 
maculate Virgin ! we are under thy protection ; there- 
fore, unitedly we have recourse to thee, and supplicate 
thee to prevent thy Son, whom our sins have offended, 
from abandoning us to the power of the devil. 

Oh full of grace ! illuminate my intellect, loosen my 
tongue that it may sing thy praises, and especially 
the Angelic Salutation, so worthy of thee. I salute 
thee, oh peace ! oh joy ! oh salvation and consolation 
of the whole world ! I salute thee, oh greatest of 
miracles ! paradise of delight ! secure haven of those 
who are in danger ! fountain of grace ! mediatrix of 
God and of men ! 

IfJrajjer of <3t. 33ernarTi. 

We raise our eyes to thee, oh queen of the world ! 
After having committed so many sins we must ap- 
pear before our Judge, and who will appease him ? 
None can do it better than thou, oh blessed Lady, who 
hast loved him so much, and hast been so tenderly 
beloved by him. Open thy heart, then, oh mother of 
mercy, to our sighs and prayers. We fly to thy pro- 
tection; appease the anger of thy Son, and restore 
us to his favor. Thou dost not abhor the sinner, how- 
ever loathsome he may be ; thou dost not despise him, 
if he sends up his sighs to thee, and with contrition 
asks thy intercession ; thou, with thy kind hand, dost 
deliver him from despair ; thou dost encourage him to 

/ 


324 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


hope, dost comfort him, and dost not leave him until 
thou hast reconciled him to his Judge. 

Thou art that only one in whom the Saviour found 
his rest, and with whom he has deposited all his 
treasures. Hence all the world, oh Mary, honors thy 
chaste womb, as the temple of God, where the sal- 
vation of the world had its beginning. In thee was 
effected the reconciliation between God and man. 
Thou art the inclosed garden, oh great mother of 
God, whose flowers have never been gathered by the 
sinner’s hand. Thou art the beautiful garden, in 
which God has placed all the flowers which adorn 
the Church, such as the violet of thy humility, the 
lily of thy purity, and the rose of thy charity. Who 
can be compared to thee, oh mother of grace and of 
beauty ? Thou art the paradise of God. From thee 
hath sprung up the fountain of living water, that 
waters all the earth. Oh, how many favors hast thou 
bestowed upon the world, by meriting to be the chan- 
nel of the waters of salvation ! 

Of thee the Holy Ghost speaks when he says : Who 
is she that arises like the dawn, fair as the moon, 
bright as the sun ? Thou art, then, come into the 
world, oh Maiy, as a resplendent dawn, preceding, 
with the light of thy sanctity, the coming of the Sun 
of Justice. The day in which thou didst appear in 
the world may truly be called the day of salvation, 
the day of grace. Thou art fair as the moon ; for 
as there is no planet more like the sun, so there is 
no creature more like to God than thou art. The 


GLOEIES OF MART. 


325 


moon illuminates the night with the light which it re- 
ceives from the sun, and thou dost illuminate our 
darkness with the splendor of thy virtues ; and thou 
art fairer than the moon, because in thee is found 
neither stain nor shade. Thou art bright as the 
sun, I mean as that Sun which hath created the sun ; 
he has been chosen among all men, and thou among 
all women. Oh sweet, oh great, oh most lovely 
Mary, thy name cannot be pronounced by any one 
that thou dost not inflame him with thy love ; neither 
can those who love thee think of thee without feeling 
themselves encouraged to love thee more. 

Oh blessed Lady, help our weakness. And who is 
more fit to speak to our Lord Jesus Christ than thou, 
who dost enjoy, so near to him, his sweet conversa- 
tion ? Speak, speak, oh Lady, because thy Son 
listens, and thou wilt obtain from him whatever thou 
shalt demand. 


Eraser of St. CSermamts. 

Oh my only Lady, who art the sole consolation 
which I receive from God; thou who art the only 
celestial dew that doth soothe my pains ; thou who 
art the light of my soul when it is surrounded with 
darkness ; thou who art my guide in my journeyings, 
my strength in my weakness, my treasure in my pov- 
erty ; balm for my wounds, my consolation in sorrow ; 
thou who art my refuge in misery, the hope of my 
salvation, graciously hear my prayer, have pity on 
me, as is befitting the mother of a God who hath so 
28 


326 GLORIES OF MARY. 

much love for men. Thou who art our defence and 
joy, grant me what I ask ; make me worthy of enjoy- 
ing with thee that great happiness which thou dost en- 
joy in heaven. Yes, my Lady, my refuge, my life, my 
help, my defence, my strength, my joy, my hope, 
make me to come with thee to paradise. I know 
that, being the mother of God thou canst obtain 
this for me if thou wilt. Oh Mary, thou art om- 
nipotent to save sinners, thou needest nothing else to 
recommend us to thee, for thou art the mother of true 
life. 


3J3ca2er of ti)e 8flbbot of belles, 

SUKNAMED THE IDIOT. 

Draw me after thee, oh Virgin Mary, that I may 
run to the odor of thy perfumes. Draw me, for I 
am held back by the weight of my sins, and by the 
malice of my enemies. As no one goes to thy Son 
unless the divine Father draws him, so I would dare 
to say, in a certain sense, that no one goes to him if 
thou dost not draw him with thy holy prayers. It is 
thou who teachest true wisdom ; thou who dost obtain 
pardon for sinners, because thou art their advocate. 
It is thou who dost promise glory to him who honors 
thee, because thou art the treasurer of graces. 

Thou hast found grace with God, oh most sweet 
Virgin, because thou hast been preserved from the 
stain of original sin, filled with the Holy Spirit, and 
hast conceived the Son of God. Thou hast received 
all these graces, oh Mary most humble, not only for 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


327 


thyself, but also for us, that thou mayest help us in 
all our necessities. And thou, indeed, dost so ; thou 
dost succor the good by preserving them in grace ; 
and the bad, by bringing them to receive the divine 
mercy ; thou dost aid the dying by protecting them 
against the snares of the devil ; and thou dost aid 
them also after death by receiving their souls, and 
leading them to the kingdom of the blessed. 

Eraser of St. ^ct^otims. 

Thy name, oh mother of God, is full of all graces 
and divine blessings. Thou hast comprehended him 
who is incomprehensible, and nourished him who 
nourishes all living creatures. He who fills heaven 
and earth and is Lord of all, has chosen to have need 
of thee, since thou hast clothed him with that gar- 
ment of flesh that he had not before. Rejoice, oh 
mother and handmaid of God ! rejoice ! rejoice ! thou 
hast for a debtor him to whom all creatures owe their 
being. We are all debtors to God, but God is a 
debtor to thee. Hence it is, oh most holy mother of 
God, that thou hast greater goodness and greater 
charity than all the other saints, and more than all 
others hast near access in heaven to God, because thou 
art his mother. Ah, we pray thee that we may cele- 
brate thy glories, and may know how great is thy 
goodness, being mindful of us and of our miseries. 

3i3raijer of SI. $oim 23amasceite. 

I salute thee, oh Mary ! thou art the hope of Chris- 


328 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


tians ; receive the petition of a servant who tenderly 
loves thee, especially honors thee, and places in thee 
all the hope of his salvation. From thee I have life, 
thou dost restore me to the favor of thy Son ; thou 
art the certain pledge of my salvation. I implore 
thee, then, to deliver me from the burden of my sins ; 
dispel the darkness of my mind ; banish earthly affec- 
tions from my heart ; repel the temptations of my en- 
emies, and so order my life, that I may reach, by thy 
means and by thy guidance, the eternal felicity of 
paradise. 

drawer of St. StnUreto of ©antita, or of Serttsalem. 

I salute thee, oh full of grace ! the Lord is with 
thee. I salute thee, oh cause of our joy, by whom 
the sentence of our condemnation has been already 
revoked, and changed into a judgment of benedic- 
tion. I salute thee, oh temple of the glory of God, 
sacred house of the King of Heaven. Thou art 
the reconciliation of God with men. I salute thee, oh 
mother of our joy. In truth thou art blessed, for 
thou alone, among all women, hast been found worthy 
of being the mother of thy Creator. All nations call 
thee blessed. 

Oh Mary, if I put my confidence in thee I shall be 
saved ; if I am under thy protection I have nothing 
to fear, for to be thy servant is to have the secure 
armor of salvation, which God does not grant except 
to those whom he will save. 

Oh mother of mercy, appease thy Son. - Whilst 


C- LOUIES OF MARY. 


329 


thou wast on earth thou didst only occupy a small 
part of it ; but now that thou art raised above the 
highest heaven, the whole world considers thee as 
the propitiatory of all nations. We supplicate thee, 
then, oh holy Virgin, to grant us the aid of thy 
prayers with God ; prayers which are dearer and 
more precious to us than all the treasures of earth ; 
prayers that render God inclined to forgive our sins ; 
and wilt thou obtain for us abundant graces to receive 
the pardon of them and to practish virtue ? prayers 
that conquer our enemies, confound their designs, and 
triumph over their forces. 

Jkajjer of St. ElUcpIjonsus 
I come to thee, oh mother of God, I supplicate 
thee to obtain for me the pardon of my sins, and 
that I may be purified from all the errors of my 
life. I pray thee to grant me thy grace, that I may 
unite myself with affection to thy Son and to thee; to 
thy Son as to my God, to thee as to the mother of 
my God. 


Stager of St. &t$anastus. 

Hearken oh most holy Virgin, to our prayers, and 
remember us. Dispense to us the gifts of thy riches, 
and the abundant graces with which thou art filled. 
The archangel salutes thee and calls thee full of 
grace. All nations call thee blessed ; the whole hie- 
rarchy of heaven blesses thee, and we, who are of the 
terrestrial hierarchy, also say to thee : “ Hail, full of 
28 * 


330 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


grace, the Lord is with thee pray for us, oh mother 
of God, our Lady and our Queen. 

33raj»er of St Anselm 

We pray thee, oh most blessed Lady, by that grace 
which God bestowed on thee when he so greatly exalted 
thee, rendering all things possible to thee with him ; 
we pray thee to obtain for us that the fulness of 
grace which thou hast merited may make us to 
share thy glory. Be pleased, oh most merciful 
Lady, to procure for us the good for which God 
consented to become man in thy chaste womb. Be 
not slow to hear us. If thou wilt deign to supplicate 
thy Son, he at once will graciously hear thee. It is 
enough that thou wilt save us, for then we cannot but 
be saved. Who can restrain the bowels of thy com- 
passion? If thou hast not compassion on us, thou 
who art the mother of mercy, what will become of us 
when thy Son shall come to judge us ? 

Come, th^n, to our succor, oh most compassionate 
mother, without regarding the multitude of our sins. 
Remember again and again that our Creator has taken 
human flesh from thee, not to condemn sinners, but to 
save them. If thou hadst been made mother of God 
only for thine own advantage, it might be said that it 
would be to thee of little importance whether we were 
saved or condemned; but God has clothed himself 
with thy flesh for thy salvation and for that of all 
men. What will it avail us that thou art so powerful 
and so glorious, if thou dost not render us partakers 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


331 


of thy felicity ? Aid us and protect us ; remember the 
need we have of thy assistance. We recommend our- 
selves to thee ; save us from damnation, and make us 
serve and love eternally thy Son Jesus Christ. 

3Prager of St. 39eter Bamfati. 

Holy Virgin, mother of God, succor those who 
implore thy assistance. Turn to us. But, having been 
deified, as it were, hast thou forgotten men? Ah, 
certainly not. Thou knowest in what peril thou hast 
left us, and the wretched condition of thy servants ; 
no, it is not befitting a mercy so great, to forget so 
great misery as ours. Turn to us with thy power, 
because he who is powerful hath given thee omnipo- 
tence in heaven and on earth. To thee nothing is im- 
possible, for thou canst raise even the despairing to 
the hope of salvation. Thou must be compassion- 
ate as thou art powerful. 

Turn to us, also, in thy love. I know, oh my Lady, 
that thou art all kindness, and dost love us with a love 
that no other love can surpass. How often dost 
thou appease the anger of our Judge, when he is on 
the point of punishing us for our offences ! All the 
treasures of the mercy of God are in thy hands. Ah, 
may it never happen that thou shouldst cease from 
doing us good : thou seekest but the occasion of saving 
all sinners, and of bestowing thy mercy upon them ; 
for thy glory is increased when, by thy means, peni- 
tents are pardoned, and the pardoned come to para- 
dise. Turn, then, to us, that we may come to see 


332 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


thee in heaven ; for the greatest glory we can obtain 
next to seeing God, is to see thee, to love thee, and to 
he under thy protection. Ah, graciously hear us, 
since thy Son wishes to honor thee, by granting all 
thy requests. 

Stager of St. W flit am, SSt'sfjop of 3Parts. 

Oh mother of God, I fly to thee and I implore 
thee not to cast me off, for the whole Church of the 
faithful calls thee, and proclaims thee the mother of 
mercy. Thou art so dear to God, that thou art always 
graciously heard ; thy compassion has never been 
wanting to any one ; thy most gracious condescension 
has never despised any sinner, however enormous his 
sin, who has recommended himself to thee. Does the 
Church falsely and in vain call thee her advocate, and 
the refuge of the unhappy ? No ; let my sins never 
prevent thee from exercising thy great office of mercy 
by which thou art the advocate, the mediatrix of rec- 
onciliation, the only hope, and the most secure refuge 
of sinners. Let it never be that the mother, who, for 
the good of the whole world, brought forth him who 
is the fountain of mercy, should refuse her mercy to 
any sinner who has recourse to her. It is thy office 
to reconcile God to man ; let, then, thy compassion 
move thee to help me, for it is greater than all my sins. 

SPragev to tlje most ^oljj TQarj) 

TO BE SAID EVERY DAY AT THE END OF THE VISIT. 

Oh most holy, immaculate Virgin, and my mother 
Mary, to thee who art the mother of my Lord, the 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


333 


queen of the world, the advocate, the hope, the refuge 
of sinners, I, the most miserable of all, have recourse 
to-day. I adore thee, oh great queen, and thank thee 
for all the favors thou hast hitherto granted me, es- 
pecially for having delivered me from hell, which I 
have so often deserved. I love thee, oh most amiable 
Lady, and through the love I bear thee promise that 
I will always serve thee, and do all that I can that 
thou mayest also be loved by others. I place in 
thee all my hopes of salvation; accept me for thy 
servant, and receive me under thy mantle, oh thou 
mother of mercy. And since thou art so powerful 
with God, deliver me from all temptations, or obtain 
for me the strength to conquer them always until 
death. From thee I ask a true love for Jesus Christ ; 
from th6e do I hope to die a good death. Oh, my 
mother, by the love thou bearest to God, I pray thee 
always to help me, but most of all at the last moment 
of my life. Do not leave me until thou seest me ac- 
tually safe in heaven, blessing thee, and singing thy 
mercies through all eternity. Amen. Thus I hope. 
Thus may it be. 


END OF THE FIRST PART. 






IPAIR'S 1 HO©!© 


"Which treats of hex principal Festivals ; of her dolors in 
general, and of each of her seven dolors in particular ; 
of her virtues ; and lastly, of devotions to he practised 
in her honor. 







GLORIES OF MARY. 


337 


DISCOURSES ON THE SEVEN PRINCIPAL LEASTS OF MARY, 
AND ON HER DOLORS. 


DISCOURSE I. 

ON THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION OF MARY. 

How befitting it was to all Three of the Divine Persons that 
Mary should be preserved from original sin. 

The ruin was great which accursed sin brought 
upon Adam and the whole human race ; for when he 
unhappily lost grace, he at the same time lost the 
other blessings with which, in the beginning, he was 
enriched, and drew upon himself, and upon all his 
descendants, both the displeasure of God, and all other 
evils. But God ordained that the blessed Virgiu 
should be exempt from this common calamity, for he- 
had destined her to be the mother of the second Adam,, 
Jesus Christ, who was to repair the injury done by 
the first. Now, let us see how fitting it was that 
the Three Divine Persons should preserve this Virgin 
from original sin. We shall see that it was befitting 
the Father to preserve her from it as his daughter, 
the Son as his mother, the Holy Spirit as his spouse. 

First Point . — In the first place, it was fitting that 
the eternal Father should create Mary free from the 
original stain, because she was his daughter, and his 
first-born daughter, as she herself attests:. ** I came 
29 


338 GLORIES OF MART. 

out of the mouth of the Most High, the first-born 
before all creatures for this passage is applied to 
Mary by the sacred interpreters, by the holy Fathers, 
and by the Church herself, on the solemn festival of 
her Conception. Whether she be the first-born on 
account of her predestination, together with her Son, 
in the divine decrees, before all creatures, as the school 
of the Scotists will have it ; or the first-born of grace, 
as predestined to be the mother of the Redeemer, after 
the prevision of sin, according to the school of the 
Thomists, all agree in calling her the first-born of God ; 
which being the case, it was not meet that Mary should 
be the slave of Lucifer, but that she should only and 
always be possessed by her Creator, as she herself 
asserts : “ The Lord possessed me in the beginning of 
his ways.”f Hence Mary was rightly called by Dio- 
nysius, Archbishop of Alexandria : One and sole daugh- 
ter of life : “ Una et sola filia vitae ;”J differing in 
this from others, who being born in sin, are daughters 
of death. 

Moreover, it was meet that the eternal Father should 
create her in his grace, since he destined her for the 
restorer of the lost world, and mediatrix of peace be- 
tween man and God ; and thus the holy Fathers name 
her, and especially St. John Damascene, who thus ad- 

* Ego ex ©re altissimi prodivi primogenita ante omnem crea- 
turam. Eccli. xxiv. 5. 

t Dominus possedit me in initio viarum suarum. Prov. 
viii. 22. 

X Ep. contr. Pa. Samos. 


GLORIES OF MART. 


339 


dresses her : Oh blessed Virgin, thou art born to pro- 
cure the salvation of the whole world !* * * § St. Bernard 
says that Mary was already prefigured in the ark of 
Noe ; for as by the ark men were saved from the 
deluge, so by Mary we are saved from the ship- 
wreck of sin ; but with this difference, that by means 
of the ark few only were saved, but by means of 
Mary the whole human race has been redeemed.! 
Hence it is that Mary is called by St. Athanasius : 
The new Eve, the mother of life : “ Nova Eva, mater 
vitse.”^ A new Eve, because the first was the mother 
of death, but the most holy Virgin is mother of life. 
St. Theophanes, Bishop of Nice, exclaims : Hail to 
thee, who hast taken away the sorrow of Eve.§ St. 
Basil calls her: The peacemaker between God and 
men. || St. Ephrem : The peacemaker of the whole 
world. 

Now, certainly he who treats of peace should not 
be an enemy of the offended person, still less an ac- 
complice of his crime. St. Gregory says, that to ap- 
pease the judge his enemy certainly must not be 
chosen, for instead of appeasing him he would enrage 

* In vitam prodiisti, ut orbis universi administram te prae- 
beres. Or. 1, de Nat. Virg. 

t Sicut per illam homines evaserunt diluvium, sic per istam 
peecati naufragium. Per illam paucorum facta est liberatio, per 
istam humani generis salvatio. Serm. de B. Virg. 

\ Or. de S. Deip. 

§ Salve quae sustulisti tristitiam Evae. 

|| Ave, Dei hominumque sequestra constituta. 

Tf Ave totius orbis conciliatrix. 


340 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


him more. Therefore, as Mary was to be the media- 
trix of peace between God and man, there was every 
reason why she should not appear as a sinner and 
enemy of God, but as his friend, and pure from sin. 

Besides, it was fitting that God should preserve her 
from original sin, since he destined her to bruise the 
head of the infernal serpent, who, by seducing our first 
parents, brought death upon all men, as our Lord pre- 
dicted : “ I will put enmities between thee and the 
woman, and thy seed and her seed ; she shall crush 
thy head.”* Now, if Mary was to be the strong 
woman brought into the world to crush Lucifer, surely 
it was not fitting that she should first be conquered 
by Lucifer, and made his slave, but rather that she 
should be free from every stain, and from all subjec- 
tion to the enemy. As he had in his pride already 
corrupted the whole human race, he would also cor- 
rupt the pure soul of this Virgin. But may the 
divine goodness be ever praised, who prevented her 
with so much grace, to the end that remaining free 
from every stain of sin, she could overthrow and con- 
found his pride, as St. Augustine says, or whoever 
may have been the author of that commentaiy upon 
Genesis: As the devil was the head from whence 
original sin proceeded, that head Mary crushed, be- 
cause no sin ever entered the soul of the Virgin, and 
therefore she was free from all stain. f St. Bonaven- 

* Inimicitias ponam inter te et mulierem, et semen tuum et 
semen illius ; ipsa conteret caput tuum. Gen. iii. 15. 

t Cum peccati originalis caput sit diabolus, tale caput Maria 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


341 


ture still more clearly expresses the same : It was 
meet that the blessed Virgin Mary, by whom our 
shame was to be removed, should conquer the devil, 
and that she should not yield to him in the least 
degree.* 

But it was especially fitting that the eternal Father 
should preserve his daughter from the sin of Adam, 
because he destined her for the mother of his only 
begotten Son. Thou wast preordained in the mind 
of God, before every creature, to bring forth God 
himself made man.j- If for no other reason, then, 
at least for the honor of his Son, who was God, the 
Father would create her pure from every stain. The 
angelic Doctor St. Thomas says, that all things 
ordained by God must be holy, and pure from every 
defilement..^ If David, when he was planning the 
temple of Jerusalem with a magnificence worthy the 
Lord, said : “Not for man a house is prepared, but. 
for God ;”§ now, how much greater cause have we to 
believe that the great Creator, having destined Maiy to 

contrivit; quia nulla peccati subjectio ingressum habuit in 
animam Virginia, et ideo ab omni macula immunis fait. In 
Gen. iii. 15. 

* Congruum erat ut B. Virgo Maria, per quam aufertur nobis 
opprobrium, vinceret diabolum, ut necei succumberet ad modi- 
cum. In 3, dist. 3, art. 2, q. 2. 

f Tu ante omnem creaturam in mente Dei praeordinata fuisti, 
ut Deum ipsum hominem procreares. Serm. 15, cap. 4. 

% Sanctjtas illis rebus attribuitur, quae in Deum sunt ordi- 
natae. 1 p. q. 36, art. 1. 

§ Neque enim homini praeparatur habitatio, sed Deo. 1 Par. 
xxix. 1. 


29 * 


342 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


be the mother of his own Son, would adorn her soul 
with every grace, that it might be a worthy habitation 
for a God. God, the creator of all things, affirms 
blessed Denis the Carthusian, about to construct a 
worthy habitation for his Son, adorned her with all 
pleasing gifts.* And the holy Church herself assures 
us of this, when she affirms that God prepared the 
body and soul of the Virgin to be, on earth, a habita- 
tion worthy of his only begotten Son. " Omnipotent, 
eternal God !” thus the holy Church prays, “ who, by 
the co-operation of the Holy Ghost, didst prepare the 
body and soul of the glorious Virgin mother, that she 
might become a worthy habitation for thy Son,” &c.f 

It is acknowledged to be the greatest glory of sons 
to be bora of noble parents. The glory of children 
are their fathers : “ Gloria filiorum, patres eorum.”J 
So that in the world the imputation of small fortune 
and little science is more endurable than that of low 
birth ; for the poor man may become rich by industry, 
the ignorant learned by study, but he who is of low 
birth can hardly become noble ; and if ever this occurs, 
the old and original reproach is liable always to be re- 
vived. How can we then believe that God, when he 
was able to give his Son a noble mother, by preserv- 

* Omnium artifex Deus, filio suo dignum habitaculum fabri- 
caturus, earn omnium gratificantium cbarismatum copia adorna- 
vit. Lib. 2, do Laud. Virg. art. 2. 

t Omnipotens sempiterne Deus, qui gloriosso Vkgims et 
matris Marias corpus et animam ut dignum filii tui babitaculum 
effici mereretur, Spiritu Sancto co-operante praeparasti, etc. 

X Prov. xvii. 6. 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


343 


ing her from sin, would have consented that he should 
be born of a mother defiled with sin, and permit Lu- 
cifer to reproach him with the opprobrium of being 
born of a mother who once was his slave and an enemy 
of God ! No, the Lord has not permitted this, but he 
has well provided for the honor of his Son, by ordain- 
ing that his mother should always be immaculate, that 
she might be a fit mother for such a Son. The Greek 
Church confirms this : “By a singular providence, 
God ordained that the most holy Virgin should be 
perfectly pure from the very beginning of her life, as 
was becoming her who was to be a mother worthy of 
Christ.”* 

It is a common axiom among theologians, that no 
gift has ever been granted to any creature with which 
the blessed Virgin was not also enriched. St. Ber- 
nard thus expresses it : We certainly cannot suspect 
that what has been bestowed on the chosen among 
mortals should be withheld from the blessed Virgin.f 
And St. Thomas of Villanova says : Nothing was 
ever given to any of the saints that did not shine more 
pre-eminently in Mary from the beginning of her life.J 


* Proviclentia singular! perfecit ut sanctissima Virgo ab ipso 
vitae suae principio tam omnino existeret pura quam decebat 
illam, quae Christo digna mater existeret. In Men. die. 25, 
Martii. 

+ Quod vel paucis mortalium constat esse collatum, fas certe 
non est suspicari tantae Virgini esse negatum. Epist. 174. 

X Nihil unquam alicui sanctorum concessum est, . quod a 
principio vitae cumulatius non praefulgeat in Maria. Serm. 2, de 
Ass. 


344 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


And if it be true, according to the celebrated saying of 
St. John Damascene, that there is an infinite distance 
between the mother of God and the servants of 
God,* * * § it certainly must be supposed, as St. Thomas 
teaches, that God has conferred greater graces of 
every kind on the mother than on the servants.f 
Now, asks St. Anselm, the great defender of the priv- 
ileges of the immaculate Mary, this being granted, 
was the wisdom of God unable to prepare a pure 
abode for his Son, free from every human stain ?J 
Has it been in the power of God, continues St. An- 
selm, to preserve the angels of heaven unstained amidst 
the ruin of so many, and could he not preserve the 
mother of his Son and the queen of angels from the 
common fall of man ?§ Could God, I add, give the 
grace even to an Eve to come into the world immacu- 
late, and afterwards be unable to bestow it on Mary ? 

Ah, no, God could do it and has done it, since it 
was altogether fitting, as the above-named St. Anselm 
says, that this Virgin, to whom God was to give his 
only Son, should be adorned with such purity, that it 
not only should surpass the purity of all men and of all 
angels, but should be second in greatness only to that 

* Matris Dei et servorum Dei infinitum est discrimen. Or. 
1, de Ass. 

t Majora in quovis genere privilegia gratise deferenda sunt 
matri Dei, quam servis. 3, p. q. 27, art. 2. 

\ Impotensne fait sapientia Dei mundum liabitaculum con- 
dere, remota omni labe conditionis liumanse ? Serm. de Cone. 

§ Angelos, aliis peccantibus, a peccato servavit ; et matrem 
ab nliorum peccatis exortem servare non potuit ? Loc. cit. 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


345 


of God.* And still more plainly does St. John Da- 
mascene declare, that he preserved the soul as well as 
the body of this Virgin, as beseemed her who was about 
to receive God into her womb ; for he being holy, 
dwells only with the holy.f Thus the eternal Father 
could say to this beloved daughter : “As the lily among 
the thorns, so is my love among the daughters.”^ 
Daughter among all my other daughters, thou art 
like a lily among thorns ; for they are all stained by 
sin, but thou wert ever immaculate, and ever my 
friend. 

Second Point . — In the second place, it was befitting 
the Son that Mary, as his mother, should be preserved 
from sin. It is not permitted to other children to 
select a mother according to their good pleasure ; but 
if this were ever granted to any one, who would 
choose a slave for his mother when he might have a 
queen ? who a peasant, when he might have a noble ? 
who an enemy of God, when he might have a friend 
of God ? If, then, the Son of God alone could select 
a mother according to his pleasure, it must be con- 
sidered as certain that he would choose one befitting 
a God. Thus St. Bernard expresses it : The Creator 

* Decens erat ut ea puritate, qua major sub Deo nequit intelli- 
gi, Virgo ilia niteret, cui Deus Pater unicum sibi iilium dare 
disponebat. Diet. Lib. de Cone. 

t Cum Virginis una cum corpore animam conservasset, ut earn 
decebat, quae Deum in sinu suo exceptura erat ; sanctus enim 
ipse cum sit, in sanetis requiescit. Lib. 4, de Fid. Ort. cap. 15. 

X Sicut Iilium inter spinas, sic arnica mea inter filias. Cant, 
ii. 2. 


346 GLORIES OF MARY. 

of men to be bom of man must choose such a mother 
for himself as he knew to be most fit.* And as it 
was, indeed, fitting that a most pure God should have 
a mother pure from all sin, such was she created, as 
St. Bernardine of Sienna says, in these words : The 
third kind of sanctification is that which is called ma- 
ternal, and this removes every stain of original sin. 
This was in the blessed Virgin. God, indeed, created 
her, by the nobility of her nature as well as by the 
perfection of grace, such as it was befitting that his 
mother should be.f And here the words of the apos- 
tle may be applied : “ For it was fitting that we should 
have such a high priest, holy, innocent, undefiled, sep- 
arated from sinners, &c. Here a learned author re- 
marks, that according to St. Paul, it was meet that our 
Redeemer should not only be separated from sin, but 
also from sinners, as St. Thomas explains it : It was 
meet that he who came to take away sins, should be 
separate from sinners as far as concerns the sin of 
which Adam was guilty.§ But how could it be said 

* Nascens de homine factor hominum talem sibi debuit eli- 
gere matreni, qualem se decere sciebat. H. 3, Sup. Miss. 

t Tertio fuit sanctificatio maternalis, et baec removet omnem 
culpam originalem. Hcec fuit in B. Yirgine ; sane Deus talem 
tam nobilitate naturae, quam perfectione gratiae condidit matrem, 
qualem eum decebat habere suam matrem. Tom. 2, Serm. 
51, c. 1. 

. % Talis enim decebat, ut nobis esset pontifex sanctus, inno- 
cens, impollutus segregatus a peccatoribus, etc. Heb. vii. 26. 

§ Oportuit eum qui peccata venerat tollere, esse a peccatoribus 
segregatum quantum ad culpam cui Adam subjacuit. 3 p. q. 
4, art. 6, ad. 1. 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


347 


of Jesus Christ that he was separate from sinners if 
his mother was a sinner ? 

St. Ambrose says : Not from earth, but from heaven, 
Christ selected this vessel through which he should 
descend, and consecrated the temple of modesty.* * * § 
The saint alludes to the words of St. Paul : “ The 
first man was of the earth, earthy : the second man 
from heaven, heavenly. ”f St. Ambrose calls the di- 
vine mother: A celestial vessel: not that Maiy was 
other than earthly in her nature, as heretics have 
sometimes fancied, but celestial through grace, for she 
was superior to the angels of heaven in sanctity and 
purity, as it was meet she should be, when a King of 
glory was to dwell in her womb ; as John the Baptist 
revealed to St. Bridget : “ It was befitting the King of 
glory to remain in no vessel but one purer and more 
select than all angels and men ;”J to which we may 
add what the eternal Father himself said to the same 
saint : “ Mary was a clean and an unclean vessel. Clean 
because she was wholly fair, but unclean because she 
was born of sinners; although she was conceived 
without sin, that my Son should be born without sin.”§ 

* Non de terra, sed de coelo vas sibi hoc per quod descen- 
deret, Christus elegit, et sacravit templum pudoris. De Inst. 
Virg. c. 5. 

f Primus homo de terra terrenus ; secundus homo de coelo 
coelestis. 1 C. xv. 47. 

% Non decuit regem glorise jacere nisi in vase purissimo et 
electissimo prae omnibus angelis et hominibus. Rev. 1. 1, c. 17. 

§ Maria fait vas mundum et non mundum; mundum quia 
totum pulchra ; sed non mundum, quia de peccatoribus nata est 


348 


GLORIES OF MART. 


And these last words are worthy of note, that Mary 
was conceived without sin, so that the divine Son 
might be conceived without sin. Not that Jesus 
Christ could be capable of contracting sin, but that 
he might not suffer the opprobrium of having a mother 
infected with sin, and a slave of the devil. 

The Holy Spirit says, that the honor of the Father 
is the glory of the Son, and the dishonor of the Fa- 
ther is the shame of the Son.'* And St. Augustine 
says, that Jesus preserved the body of Mary from 
being corrupted after death, since it would have dis- 
honored him if corruption had destroyed that virginal 
flesh from which he had clothed himself. f Corruption 
is the reproach of the human condition, from which 
the nature of Mary was exempted, in order that Jesus 
might be exempt from it, for the flesh of Jesus is the 
flesh of Mary. Now, if it were a dishonor for Jesus 
Christ to be born of a mother whose body was subject 
to the coiTuption of the flesh, how much greater 
would be the shame had he been bom of a mother 
whose soul was corrupted by sin ! Moreover, as it is 
true that the flesh of Jesus is the same as that of 
Mary, in such a manner (as the saint himself here 


licet sine peccato concepta, ut Alius meus de ea sine peccato nas- 
ceretur. L. 5, c. 13. 

* Gloria enim hominis ex honore patris sui, et dedecus Alii 
pater sine honore. Eccli. iii. 13. 

t Putredo namque human® est opprobrium conditionis, a 
quo cum Jesus sit alienus, natura Mari® excipitur ; caro enim 
Jesu caro Mari® est. Serm. de Ass. B. V. 


GLORIES OF MART. 


349 


adds) that the flesh of the Saviour after his resurrec- 
tion was the very same which he received from his 
mother ;* therefore St. Arnold of Carnotensis says : 
The flesh of Mary and of Christ is one, and hence I es- 
teem the glory of the Son to be not so much common to 
both as the same.f Now, this being true, if the bless- 
ed Virgin had been conceived in sin, although the Son 
had not contracted the stain of sin, yet there would 
always have been a certain stain from the union of 
himself with flesh once infected by guilt, a vessel of 
uncleanness, and a slave of Lucifer. 

Mary was not only the mother, but a worthy mother 
of the Saviour. Thus all the holy Fathers name her. 
St. Bernard says : Thou alone hast been found worthy, 
that in thy virginal hall the King of kings should 
choose his first mansion. J And St. Thomas of Villa- 
nova: Before she had conceived she was fitted to 
be the mother of God.§ The holy Church herself at- 
tests that the Virgin merited to be the mother of 
Jesus Christ. || Explaining which passage, St. Thomas 

* Caro Christi caro est Mari®, et quamvis gloria resurrectionis 
fuerit glorificata, eadem tamen mansit qua3 de Maria sumpta est. 
Loc. cit. 

t Una est Mari® et Christi caro; atque adeo filii gloriam 
cum matre non tam communem judico, quam eamdem. Dc 
L. V. 

X Tu sola inventa est digna, ut in tua virginali aula Rex Re- 
gum primam sibi mansionem eligeret. In Depr. ad Virg. 

§ Antequam conciperet, jam idonea erat ut esset mater Dei. 
Serm. 3, de Nat. Virg. 

0 B. Virgo cujus viscera meruerunt portare Christum Domi- 
num. Resp. 1, Noct. 2, in Nat. Mar. 

30 


350 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


\ 


of Aquinas remarks, that Mary could not merit the 
incarnation of the Word, but with divine grace she 
merited such perfection as would render her worthy 
to become the mother of a God ;* * * § as St. Peter Da- 
mian also writes : Her singular sanctity merited (out 
of pure grace) that she should alone be judged worthy 
to receive a God.f 

Now, this being granted, that Mary was a mother 
worthy of God, what excellency and what perfection, 
says St. Thomas of Villanova, were befitting her !£ 
The same angelic Doctor declares, that when God 
elects any one to a certain dignity, he also fits him for 
it ; hence, he says, that God having chosen Mary for 
his mother, certainly rendered her worthy of it by his 
grace, according to what the angel said to her : “ Thou 
hast found grace with God, behold thou shalt conceive, 
etc.”§ And from this the saint infers that the Virgin 
never committed any actual sin, not even a venial sin ; 
otherwise, he says, she would not have been a worthy 


* B. Virgo dicitur meruisse portare dominum omnium, non 
quia meruit ipsum incarnari, sed quia meruit ex gratia sibi data 
ilium puritatis et sanctitatis gradum ut congrue posset esse mater 
Dei. 3 p. q. 2, a 11, ad 3. 

t Singularis ej us sanctitas ex gratia hoc promeruit, quod sus- 
ceptione Dei singulariter judicata est digna. De Ass. Serm. 2. 

X Quae autem excellentia, quae perfectio decuit earn ut esset 
mater Dei. Serm. 3, Nat. Virg. 

§ Beata autem Virgo fuit electa divinitus, ut esset mater Dei ; 
et ideo non est dubitandum, quin Deus, per suam gratiam, earn 
ad hoc idoneam reddidit, secundum quod Angelus ad earn dicit. 
Luc. 1, Invenisti gratiam apud Deum; ecce concipies, etc., 8, 
p. q. 27, a. 4, in corp. 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


351 


mother of Jesus Christ, since the ignominy of the 
mother would also be that of the Son, if his mother 
had been a sinner.* Now, if Mary, by committing 
only one venial offence, which does not deprive the 
soul of divine grace, might be said not to have been 
a worthy mother of God, how much more if she had 
been stained with original sin, which would have ren- 
dered her an enemy of God, and a slave of the devil ! 
Therefore St. Augustine says in a celebrated pas- 
sage of his writings, that speaking of Mary, he would 
make no mention of sins, for the honor of that Lord 
whom she merited for her Son, and through whom she 
had the grace to conquer sin in every way.f 

We should therefore hold it for certain, that the 
incarnate Word selected for himself a befitting mother, 
and one of whom he need not be ashamed, as St. Peter 
Damian expresses it.J And also St. Proculus : He 
inhabited those bowels which he had created, so as to 
be free from any mark of infamy.§ Jesus felt it no 
reproach to hear himself called by the Jews the son 

* Non fuisset idonea mater Dei, si peccasset aliquando, quia 
ignominia matris ad filium redundasset. Serm. 3, Nat. Virg. 

+ Excepta itaque S. Virgine Maria, de qua propter honorem 
Domini nullam prorsus, cum de peccatis agitur, habere volo 
quaestionem. Inde enim scimus quod ei plus gratise collatum 
fuerit ad vincendum ex omni parte peccatum, quae concipere et 
parere meruit eum quem constat nullum habuisse peccatum. 
De Nat. et grat. contr. Pel. t. 7, c. 36. 

\ Christus talem matrem sibi elegit, qualem meruit habere, de 
qua non erubesceret. 

§ Intra viscera, quae citra ullam sui dedecoris notam creaverat, 
habitavit. Or. de Nat. Dom. 


352 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


of a poor woman : “ Is not his mother called Mary ?”* * * § 
for he came on earth to give an example of humility 
and patience. But on the other hand, it would doubt- 
less have been a reproach to him if it could have been 
said by the demons : Was he not born from a mother 
who was a sinner, and once our slave ?f It would' 
be considered most unfit that Jesus Christ should 
have been born of a woman deformed and maimed 
in body, or possessed by evil spirits ; but how 
much more unseemly that he should be born of a 
woman once deformed in soul, and possessed by 
Lucifer ! 

Ah, that God who is wisdom itself well knew how 
to prepare upon the earth a fit dwelling for him 
to inhabit : “ Wisdom hath built herself a house.”J 
“ The Most High hath sanctified his own taberna- 
cle.” “ God will help it in the morning early. ”§ 
The Lord, says David, sanctified this his habitation in 
the morning early ; that is, from the beginning of her 
life, to render her worthy of himself ; for it was not 
befitting a God who is holy to select a house that was 
not holy : Holiness become th thy house : “ Domum 
tuum decet sanctitudo.”|| And if he himself declares 
that he will never enter into a malicious soul, and into 


* Nonne mater ejus dicitur Maria ? Mattli. xiii. 55. 

t Nonne mater ejus extitit peccatrix? 

% Sapientia sedificavit sibi domum. Prov. ix. 1. 

§ Sanctificavit tabernaculum suum altissimus .... Adjuva- 
bit earn Deus mane diluculo. Psal. xlv. 56. 

| Psal. xcii. 5. 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


353 


\ 


a body subject to sins.* * * § How can we think that the 
Son of God would have chosen to inhabit the soul 
and body of Mary without first sanctifying her and 
preserving her from every stain of sin ? for, as St. 
Thomas teaches us, the eternal Word inhabited not 
only the soul, but the body of Mary.f The Church 
also sings : Oh Lord, thou didst not shrink from the 
Virgin’s womb: “Non horruisti Virginis uterum.” 
Indeed, a God would have shrunk from incarnating 
himself in the womb of an Agnes, of a Gertrude, of a 
Theresa, since those virgins, although holy, were for a 
time stained with original sin ; but he did not shrink 
from becoming man in the womb of Mary, because 
this chosen Virgin was always pure from every guilt, 
and never possessed by the infernal serpent. Hence 
St. Augustine wrote : The Son of God has built him- 
self no house more worthy than Mary, who was 
never taken by the enemy, nor robbed of her orna- 
ments. J 

On the other hand, St. Cyril of Alexandria says : 
Who has ever heard of an architect building a house 
for his own use and then giving the first possession of 
it to his greatest enemy ?§ 

* In malevolam animam non introibit sapientia, nec babitabit 
in corpore subdito peccatis. Sap. i. 4. 

+ Dei filius in ipsa habitabit, non solum in anima, sed etiam m 
utero. 3, p. q. 27, a. 4. 

X Nullatn digniorem domum sibi filius Dei aedificavit, quam 
Mariam, quse nunquam fuit ab bostibus eapta, neque suis orna- 
mentis spoliata. 

§ Quis unquam audivit arcbitectum, qui sibi domum asdifica- 

30* 


\ 

354 GLORIES OF MART. 

Certainly our Lord, who, as St. Methodius declares, 
gave us the command to honor our parents, would not 
fail, when he became man, like ourselves, to observe it 
himself, by bestowing on his mother every grace 
and honor.* Hence St. Augustine says, that we must 
certainly believe that Jesus Christ preserved from cor- 
ruption the body of Mary after death, as it has been 
said above; for if he had not done so, he would 
not have observed the law, which, as it commands re- 
spect to the mother, so it condemns disrespect. I How 
much less mindful would Jesus have been of the 
honor of his mother, if he had not preserved her from 
the sin of Adam ! That Son would, indeed, commit 
a sin, says Father Thomas d’ Argentina, an Augustin- 
ian, who, being able to preserve his mother from orig- 
inal sin, should not do so ; now that which would be 
sinful in us, says the same author, cannot be esteemed 
befitting the Son of God, namely, if he should not 
have created his mother immaculate when he was able 
to do so. Ah, no, exclaims Gerson, since thou, the su- 
preme Prince, dost wish to have a mother, honor will 
certainly be due to her from thee ; but this law would 
not appear well fulfilled if thou shouldst permit her, 


vit, ejus occupationem et possessionem primo suo inimico ces- 
sisse. In Cone. Eph. n. 6. 

* Qui dixit, honora patrem et matrem ut decretum a se promul- 
gatum servaret, omnem Matri gratiam et honorem iinpendit. 
Or. in Hypap. 

f Sicut honorem inatris prsecipit ita inhonorationem damnat, 
Serm. de Ass. B. Virg. 


GLORIES OF MART. 


355 


who was to be the dwelling of all purity, to fall into 
the abomination of original sin.* * * § 

Moreover, the divine Son, as we know, came into 
the world to redeem Mary before all others, as we 
read in St. Bernardine of Sienna.f And as there 
are two modes of redeeming, as St. Augustine teaches, 
one by raising the fallen ; the other, by preventing 
from falling ;J doubtless, the latter is the most noble. 
More nobly, says St. Antoninus, is he redeemed who 
is prevented from falling, than he who is raised after 
falling ;§ because in this way is avoided the injury or 
stain that the soul always contracts by a fall. There- 
fore we ought to believe that Mary was redeemed in 
the nobler manner, as became the mother of a God, 
as St. Bonaventure expresses it; for Frassen proves 
the sermon on the assumption to have been written by 
that holy doctor. || We must believe that by a new 
mode of sanctification the Holy Spirit redeemed her at 
the first moment of her conception, and preserved her 


* Cum tu Summus Prineeps velis habere matrem, illi certe 
debebis honorem ; nimis autem appareret illam legem non bene 
adimpleri, si in abominationem peccati originalis permitteres 
illam quee esse debet habitaculum totius puritatis. Seim, de 
Cone. B. M. 

+ Christus plus pro redimenda Virgine venit quam pro omni 
alia creatura. 

1 Duplex est redimendi modus, unus redimen do lapsum, al- 
ter redimendo non lapsum, ne cadat. 

§ Nobilius redimitur cui providetur, ne cadat, quam ut lapsus 
erigatur. 

| Scot. Acad. tom. 8, art. 3, sect. 3, q. 1. s. 5. 


356 GLORIES OF MART. 

by a special grace from original sin, which was not in 
her, but would have been in her.* On this subject 
Cardinal Cusano has elegantly written : Others have 
had a deliverer, but the holy Virgin had a predeliver- 
er ;f others have had a Redeemer to deliver them from 
sin already contracted, but the holy Virgin had a Re- 
deemer who, because he was her Son, prevented her 
from contracting sin. 

In a word, to conclude this point, Hugo of St. Vic- 
tor says, the tree is known by its fruit. If the Lamb 
was always immaculate, always immaculate must the 
mother also have been.J Hence this same doctor sa- 
luted Mary by calling her : The worthy mother of a 
worthy Son: “0 digna digni.” By which he meant 
to say, that none but Mary was the worthy mother of 
such a Son, and that none but Jesus was the worthy 
Son of such a mother.§ . Therefore let us say with St. 
Ildephonsus : Give suck, then, oh Mary, give suck to thy 
Creator ; give suck to him who created thee, and hath 
made thee so pure and perfect that thou hast merited 
that he should receive from thee the human nature. || 

* Credendum est enim quod novo sanctificationis genere in 
ejus conceptionis primordio Spiritus Sanctus earn a peccato 
originali (non quod infuit, scd quod infuisset) redemit atque sin- 
gulari^ratia preservavit. Serm. 2, de Ass. 

+ i^Tii liberatorem, Virgo sancta praeliberatorem babuit. 

X Talis agnus, qualis Mater agni ; quoniam omnis arbor ex 
fructu suo cognoscitur. Coll. 3, de Verb. Inc. 

§ 0 digna digni, formosa pulcbri, excelsa altissimi, mater Dei. 
Ug. de S. Viet. Serm. de Ass. 

|| Lacta, 0 Maria, Creatorem tuum, lacta eum qui te fecit, et 
qui talem fecit te, ut ipse fieret ex te. Serm. de Nat. Virg. 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


357 


Third Point. — If, then, it became the Father to 
preserve Mary as his daughter from sin, and the Son 
because she was his mother, it also became the Holy 
Spirit to preserve her as his spouse. Mary, says St. 
Augustine, was the only one who merited to be called 
the mother and spouse of God.* * * § For, as St. Anselm 
affirms, the Holy Spirit came bodily upon Mary and 
rested in her, enriching her with grace beyond all 
creatures, dwelt in her, and made his spouse queen 7>f 
heaven and of earth.f As the saint expresses it : He 
was with her really, as to the effect, since he came to 
form from her immaculate body the immaculate body 
of Jesus Christ, as the archangel predicted: The 
Holy Ghost shall come upon thee.J For this reason, 
says St. Thomas, Mary is called the temple of the 
Lord, the sanctuary of the Holy Spirit, because, by 
the operation of the Holy Spirit, she was made mother 
of the incarnate Word.§ 

Now, if an excellent painter were allowed to choose 
a bride as beautiful or as deformed as he himself 
might paint her, how great would be his solicitude to 
make her as beautiful as possible ! Who, then, will 
say that the Holy Spirit has not dealt thus with Mary, 

* II sec est quae sola meruit mater, et sponsa vocari. Serm. 
de Ass. 

f Ipse spiritus Dei, ipse amor Patris et Filii corporaliter venit 
in earn singularique gratia prae omnibus in ipsa requievit, et re- 
ginam coeli et terrae fecit sponsam suam. De Exc. Virg. c. 4. 

X Spiritus Sanctus superveniet in te. Luc. i. 35. 

§ TJnde dicitur templum Domini, sacrarium Spiritus Sancti, 
quia concepit ex Spiritu Sancto. Opusc. 8. 


358 


GLORIES OF MAEY. 


and that, having it in his power to mate this his spouse 
as beautiful as it became her to be, he has not done so ? 
Yes, thus it was fitting he should do, and thus he did, 
as the Lord himself attested when praising Mary ; he 
said to her : “ Thou art all fair, oh my love ; and there 
is not a spot in thee which words, as we learn 
from a Lapide, St. Ildephonsus, and St. Thomas, ex- 
plain as properly to be understood of Mary. St. 
Bernardine of Sienna, f and St. Lawrence Justinian,^ 
also declare that the passage above quoted is precisely 
to be understood of her immaculate conception ; hence 
the Idiot says : Thou art all fair, oh most glorious 
Virgin, not in part, but wholly ; and the stain of sin, 
whether mortal, or venial, or original, is not upon 
thee.§ 

The Holy Spirit signified the same thing, when he 
called this his spouse : “A garden inclosed, a fountain 
sealed up.”|| Mary, says St. Jerome, was properly 
this inclosed garden and sealed fountain ; for the 
enemies never entered to harm her, but she was always 
uninjured, remaining holy in soul and body^f. And in 

* Tota pulchra es, arnica mea, et macula non est in te. Cant, 
iv. 7. 

t Tom. 2, Serm. 52. J Serm. de Nat. Virg. 

§ Tota pulchra es, Virgo gloriosissima, non in parte, sed in 
toto ; et macula peccati sive mortalis, sive venialis, sive origi- 
nalis non est in te. In Contemp. B. V. c. 3. 

|| Hortus conclusus, soror mea sponsa, hortus conclusus, fons 
signatus. Cant. iv. 12. 

Tf Hasc est hortus conclusus, fons signatus ad quam nulli potu- 
erunt doli irrumpere, nec prevalere fraus inimici ; sed permansit 
sancta mente, et corpore. Ep. 10, ad Eust. de Ass. 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


359 


like manner St. Bernard said, addressing the blessed 
Virgin : Thou art an inclosed garden, where the sin- 
ner’s hand never entered to rob it of its flowers.* * * § 

We know that this divine spouse loved Mary more 
than all the other saints and angels united, as Father 
Suarez, St. Lawrence Justinian, and others affirm. He 
loved her from the beginning, and exalted her in sanc- 
tity above all creatures, as David expresses it: “The 
foundations thereof are in the holy mountains; the 
Lord loveth the gates of Sion abe^e all the taber- 
nacles of Jacob. . . . This man is born in her, and the 
Highest himself hath founded her.”f All which words 
signify that Mary was holy from her conception. The 
same thing is signified by what the Holy Spirit himself 
says in another place: “Many daughters have gath- 
ered together riches ; thou hast surpassed them all.”J 
If Mary has surpassed all in the riches of grace, she 
then possessed original justice, as Adam and the 
angels had it. “There are young maidens without 
number : one is my dove, my perfect one (the Hebrew 
reads, my uncorrupted, my immaculate) ; she is the 
only one of her mother. ”§ All just souls are children 

* Hortus conclusus tu es, ad quern deflorandum manus pecca- 
torum nunquam introivit. 

t Fundamenta ejus in montibus sanctis ; diligit Dominus 
portas Sion super omnia tabernacula Jacob. . . . Homo natus est 
in ea et ipse fundavit earn Altissimus. Psal. lxxxvi. 1,2, 5. 

X Mutae filiae congregaverunt divitias, tu supergressa es uni- 
versas. Prov. xxxi. 29. 

§ Adolescentularum non est numerus. Una est columba 
mea, perfecta mea, una est matris suae. Cant. vi. 8. 


360 


GLOEIES OF MARY. 


of divine grace ; but among these, Mary was the Dove 
without the bitter gall of sin, the Perfect One without 
the stain of original sin, the one conceived in grace. 

The angel, therefore, before she was mother of God, 
already found her full of grace, and thus saluted her : 
Hail, full of grace : “ Ave gratia plena.” Comment- 
ing upon which words, Sophronius writes, that to the 
other saints grace is given in part, but to the Virgin 
it was given in fulness.* * * § So that, as St. Thomas 
says, grace not only made the soul, but also the flesh 
of Mary holy, that with it the Virgin might clothe 
the eternal Word.f Now by all this we are to under- 
stand, as Peter of Celles remarks, that Mary, from 
the moment of her conception, was enriched by the 
Holy Spirit, and filled with divine grace. J Hence, as 
St. Peter Damian says: She being elected and pre- 
elected by God, was borne off by the Holy Spirit for 
himself.§ Borne off, as the saint expresses it, to explain 
the swiftness of the Divine Spirit in making her his 
spouse, before Lucifer should take possession of her. 

I will at length close this discourse, in which I have 


* Bene gratia plena dicitur, quia cseteris per partes prsestatur, 
Marise vero simul se tota infundit plenitudo gratise. Serna, de 
Ass. B. Y. 

t Aninaa B. Yirginis ita fuit plena quod ex ea refundit gratia 
in carnem, ut de ipsa conciperet Deum. Opusc. 8. 

% Simul in ea collecta est gratise plenitudo, quia ab exordio 
suae conceptionis aspersione Spiritus Sancti tota deitatis gratia 
est superfusa. Lib. de Panib. cap. 10. 

§ A Deo electam et prseelectam totam earn rapturus erat sibi 
Spiritus Sanctus. Serm. de Ann. 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


361 


been more diffuse than in the others, because our little 
congregation has for its principal protectress the most 
holy Virgin Mary, precisely under this title of her im- 
maculate conception. I will close, I say, by declar- 
ing in a few words what are the reasons which make 
me certain, and which, as I think, should make 
every one certain of this pious sentiment, so glorious 
to the divine mother — that she was free from original 
sin. 

There are many doctors who maintain that Mary 
was even exempt from contracting the debt of sin ; 
such as Cardinal Galatino,* Cardinal Cusano,f De 
Ponte, | Salasar,§ Catherinus,|| Novarino,®[[ Viva,** 
De Lugo, Egidius, Richelius, and others. Now this 
opinion is very probable ; for if it is true that in the- 
will of Adam, as head of the human race, were in- 
cluded the wills of all, as Gonet,ff Habert,£f and 
others hold' it to be probable, on the testimony of these 
words of St. Paul : “ In whom (Adam) all have sin- 
ned.”§§ If this, then, is probable, it is also probable 
that Mary did not contract the debt of sin ; for God 
having greatly distinguished her in the order of grace 
from the rest of mankind, it should be piously believed,, 
that in the will of Adam, the will of Mary was not. 
included. 

* De Arcan. 1. 7, c. 18. t L. 8, Exerc. 8. 

\ Lib. 2, Cant, ex to. § De V. Cone. c. 7, s. 7. 

|| De pecc. orig. c. ult. H Umbra. Virg. c. 10, exc. 28* 

** P. 8, d. 2, q. 2, a. 8. tt Man. to. 8, tr. 5, c. 6, s. 2. 

XX To. 3, de pecc. c. 7. 

§§ Omnes in quo (Ada) peccaverunt. Rom. v. 

31 


362 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


This opinion is only probable, but I adhere to it, as 
being more glorious for my Lady. But, then, I hold 
it for certain that Mary has not contracted the sin of 
Adam, as Cardinal Everard,* Duval, f Raynauld,J; 
Lossada,§ Viva,|| and many others hold it for certain, 
and even proximately definable as an article of faith, as 
they express it. I omit, however, the revelations that 
confirm this opinion ; especially those made to St. Brid- 
get, approved by Cardinal Torrecremata, and by four 
supreme Pontiffs, and which we read in the sixth book 
of the above-mentioned revelations, in various places. *[ 
•But I can by no means omit to mention here the opinions 
of the holy Fathers on this point, in order to prove how 
uniform they have been in conceding this privilege to the 
divine mother. St. Ambrose says : Receive me not from 
Sarah, but from Mary, as an uncorrupted Virgin, a 
Virgin through grace preserved pure from every stain 
of sin.** Origen, speaking of Mary, says : Neither was 
she infected by the breath of the venomous serpent. j| 
And St. Ephrem : She is immaculate, and remote from 
every taint of sin.JJ St. Augustine, meditating on the 
words of the angel, “ Hail, full of grace,” says : By 

* In Exam. Theol. + 1, 2, q. 2, de pecc. 

X Piet. Lugd. n. 29. § Disc. Th. de Imm. Cone. 

1 Qu. Prod, ad Trut. IT C. xii. 49, 55. 

** Suscipe me non ex Sara, sed ex Maria, ut incorrupta sit 

virgo, sed virgo per gratiam ab omni integra labe peccati. Serm. 
22, in Psal. cxviii. 

tt Nee serpentis venenosi affiatibus infecta est. Horn. 1. 

\X Immaculata, et ab omni peccati labe alienissima. Tom. 5, 
or. ad Dei Gen. 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


363 


these words he shows her to be entirely (note, entirely) 
excluded from the wrath of the first sentence, and 
restored to the full grace of benediction.* * * § St. Jerome : 
That cloud was never in darkness, but always in the 
light.f St. Cyprian, on Psalm lxxvii., or whoever may 
be the author of that treatise, says : Neither did jus- 
tice suffer that vessel of election to be open to common 
injuries, for, being far exalted above others, she was a 
partaker of their nature, but not of their sin.J St. 
Amphilochius also says : He who created the first 
virgin without reproach, also created the second with- 
out stain or crime.§ Sophronius : Therefore she is 
called the immaculate Virgin, because she was in no 
manner corrupted. || St. Ildephonsus : It is certain 
that she was exempt from original sin.®[ St. John of 
Damascus : To this paradise the serpent had no en- 
trance.** St. Peter Damian : The flesh of the Virgin, 


* Ave, gratia plena ; quibus ostendit ex integro (nota ex inte- 
gro) iram prim® sententi® exclusam, et plenam benedictionis 
gratiam restitutam. Serm. 11, in Nat. Dom. 

t Nubes ilia non fait in tenebris, semper in luce. In Psal. 77. 

X Nec sustinebat justitia, nt illud vas electionis communibus 
laxaretur injuriis, quoniam plurimum a cseteris distans natura 
communicabat non culpa. Lib. de Carn. Cbristi oper. de Nativ. 

§ Qui antiquam virginem sine probro condidit, ipse et secun- 
dam sine nota et crimine fabricatus est. Or. de Deip. 

fl Virginem ideo dici immaculatam, quia in nullo corrupta est. 
In Ep. Ap. Syn. to. 3, p. 307. 

T Constat earn aboriginali peccato fuisse immunem. Cont. 
Lisp. De Virgin. Mar. 

** Ad huno paradisum serpens aditum non habuit. Or. 2, de 
Nat. Mar. 




364 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


received from Adam, was free from Adam’s taint of 
sin.* * * § St. Bruno: 'This is that uncorrupted earth 
which the Lord has blessed, and hence she is pure 
from all contagion of sin.j- St. Bonaventure, also : 
Our Lady was full of preventing grace in her sancti- 
fication, namely, of grace preservative against the de- 
filement of original sin.j St. Bernardine of Sienna : 
For it is not to be believed that the Son of God him- 
self would choose to be born of a virgin, and assume 
her flesh, if she were defiled in any way with original 
sin.§ St. Lawrence Justinian: From her conception 
she was prevented with blessing. || So the Idiot, upon 
those words, Thou hast found grace, “ Invenisti 
gratiam,” says : Thou hast found peculiar grace, oh 
most sweet Virgin, for thou wast preserved from the 
original stain, &c.^[ And many other Doctors express 
the same. 

But there are two arguments which conclusively 

* Caro Virginia ex Adam sumpta, maculas Adam non admisit. 
Serm. de Ass. V. 

+ Ilsec est incorrupta terra ilia, cui benedixit Dominus, ab 
omni propterea peccati contagione libera. In Psal. ci. 

% Domina nostra fuit plena gratia praeveniente in sua sancti- 
ficatione, gratia scilicet praeservativa contra foeditatem originalis 
culpse. Serm. 2, de Ass. 

§ Non enim credendum est, quod ipse filius Dei voluerit nasci 
ex Virgine, et sumere ejus carnem, quae esset maculata aliquo 
originali peccato. Tom. 3, Serm. 49. 

1 Ab ipsa conceptione fuit in benedictionibus praeventa. Serm. 
de Annunt. 

If Gratiam singularem, 0 dulcissima Virgo, invenisti, quia fue- 
runt in te ab originali labe praeservatio, etc. C. 6. 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


365 


prove the truth of this opinion. The first is the uni- 
versal consent of the faithful on this point. Father 
Egidius, of the Presentation, asserts that all the reli- 
gious orders follow the same opinion :* and although 
in the order of St. Dominic, says a modem author, 
there are ninety- two writers who are of the contrary 
opinion, yet one hundred and thirty-six are of ours. 
But what should especially persuade us that our pious 
opinion is conformable to the common opinion of 
Catholics, is the declaration of Pope Alexander VII., in 
the celebrated bull, “ Sollicitudo omnium ecclesia- 
rum,” issued in the year 1661, namely: “This devo- 
tion and worship to the mother of God again increased 
and was propagated, .... so that the universities having 
embraced this opinion (that is, the pious one), almost 
all Catholics embrace it.”f And, in fact, this opinion is 
defended by the universities of the Sorbonne, of Alca- 
la, of Salamanca, of Coimbra, of Cologne, of Mayence, 
and of Naples, and by many others, in which every one 
who graduates binds himself by an oath to the de- 
fence of the immaculate Mary. The learned Petavius 
I'ests his proof of the immaculate conception mainly 
upon this argument of the common consent of the faith- 
ful. I Which argument, writes the most learned Bishop 
Julius Torni, cannot fail to convince ; for, in fact, rf 


* De Prsef. Virg. q. 6, a. 4. 

+ Aucta rursus, et propagata fuit pietas haec et cultus erga 
Deiparam . . . ita ut, accedentibus academiis ad hanc sententi- 
am, jam fere omnes Catbolici earn complectantur. 

\ Tom. 5, p. 2, 1. 14, c. 2, n. 10. 

31* 


366 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


nothing else, the common consent of the faithful ren- 
ders us certain of the sanctification of Mary in the 
womb, and of the glorious assumption of her soul and 
body into heaven ; why, then, should not this same 
common sentiment render us certain of her immaculate 
conception ?* * * § 

By another reason, still stronger than the first, we are 
assured of the truth of the fact, that the Virgin is ex- 
empt from the original stain, namely, the festival insti- 
tuted by the universal Church in honor of her Immacu- 
late Conception. And with regard to this I see, on the 
one hand, that the Church celebrates the first moment 
when her soul was created and infused into the body, 
as Alexander VII. declares in the bull above quoted, 
in which it is expressed that the Church prescribes the 
same veneration for the conception of Mary, as the 
pious opinion concedes to her, which holds her to be 
conceived without original sin. On the other hand, I 
know it to be certain that the Church cannot honor 
any thing unholy, according to the decrees of the 
sovereign pontiffs St. Leof and St. Eusebius : “ In the 
Apostolic See the Catholic religion has always been 
preserved pure from stain.J” And all the theologians, 
including St. Augustine, § St. Bernard, and St. Thomas, 
teach the same thing. The latter makes use of the 

* In. adn. ad. Est. 1. 2, Dist. 3, s. 2. 

t Ep. Deer. 4, c. 2. 

X In Sede Apostolica extra macnlam semper est catholica ser- 
vata religio. Deer. 24, 9, 1, c. In sede. 

§ Serm. 95, et 113. 


GLORIES OF MARY. 367 

argument of the festival of her birth, instituted by the 
Church, to prove that Mary was sanctified before birth ; 
and therefore Says: The Church celebrates the na- 
tivity of the blessed Virgin ; but no feast is celebrated 
in the Church except in honor of some saint ; there- 
fore the blessed Virgin was sanctified in the womb.* 
Now if it is certain, as the angelic Doctor declares, 
that Mary was sanctified in the womb, because for 
this reason the holy Church celebrates her birth; 
why should we not then hold it for certain that Maiy 
was preserved from original sin from the first moment 
of her conception, now that we know that in this sense 
the Church herself celebrates the festival of it ?f In 
confirmation, too, of this great privilege of Mary, it is 
well known what numerous and remarkable graces our 
Lord has been pleased to dispense daily in the king- 
dom of Naples, by means of the little pictures of the 
Virgin of the Immaculate Conception. I could relate 
many that took place under the eyes of the fathers of 
our own congregation ; but I will relate only two, 
which are truly wonderful. 

EXAMPLE. 

There came a woman to one of the houses of our 
little congregation, in this kingdom, to tell one of the 
fathers that her husband had not been to confession 

* Ep. ad. Can. Lugd. 4 

t Ecclesia celebrat nativitatem B. Virginis ; non autera celc- 
bratur festum in Ecclesia nisi pro aliquo sancto ; Ergb B. Virgo 
fuit in utero sanctificata. 2, p. q. 27, a. 2. 


368 GLORIES OF MART. 

for many years, and that she did not know how to bring 
him back to his duties, for whenever she spoke to him 
of confession he beat her. The father told her to 
give him a little picture of Mary immaculate. Even- 
ing came, and the woman again begged her husband 
to go to confession ; but the man being deaf as before, 
she gave him the picture. He had no sooner received it 
than he said : “ When will you take me to confession, 
for I am ready ?” The wife, at that sudden change, 
wept for joy. In the morning he came to our church, 
and when the father asked him how long it was since 
he had been to confession, he answered : “ Twenty- 
eight years.” “ And what has brought you to con- 
fession this morning ?” said the father. “ Father,” 
he said, “ I was obstinate, but yesterday my wife gave 
me a picture of the Madonna, and immediately I felt 
my heart changed, so that last night appeared to me 
a thousand years long, and I thought the day would 
never come when I might go to confession.” He 
made his confession with great compunction, changed 
his life, and continued for a long time to go often to 
confession to the same hither. 

In another place, in the diocese of Salerno, during 
one of our missions, there was a certain man who had 
a great enmity against one who had offended him. One 
of our fathers spoke to him, and exhorted him to par- 
don the offence. “Father, have you ever seen me at 
the sermon? No, you have-not, and for this reason I 
stay aw£^y : I see that I am damned, but I do not 
wish it otherwise, I must have revenge.” The father 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


369 


made every effort to convert him, but finding that he 
was wasting his words, “ Take,” he said to him, “ this 
little picture of the Madonna.” “ Of what use,” said 
he, “is this picture?” But he took it, and as if 
he had never refused to pardon his enemy, he said to 
the missionary, “Father, do you wish any thing more 
than reconciliation ? for that I am ready.” The next 
morning was appointed for the reconciliation ; but 
when the morning came, his mind was changed, and 
he would do nothing. The father offered him another 
picture. He did not wish for it, and took it unwillingly ; 
but behold, no sooner had he taken it, than he imme- 
diately said, “ Let us be reconciled : where is Mastro- 
datti?” He then forgave his enemy, and afterwards 
made his confession. • 

PRAYER. 

Ah, my immaculate Lady, I rejoice with thee, 
seeing thee endowed with so great purity. I give 
thanks, and make the resolution always to give thanks 
to our common Creator, for having preserved thee 
from every stain of sin, as I certainly believe ; and to 
defend this great and peculiar privilege of thy im- 
maculate conception I am ready, and swear to give 
even my life if it is necessary. I wish that all the 
world might know thee, and acknowledge thee for 
that beautiful aurora , which was always resplendent 
with the divine light; that chosen ark of salvation, 
safe from the common shipwreck of sin ; for that per- 
fect and immaculate dove , as thy divine spouse de- 


370 GLORIES OF MART. 

dared thee ; that inclosed garden , which was the de- 
light of God; that fountain sealed up, which the 
enemy never entered to trouble ; finally, that spotless 
lily, which thou art, springing up among the thorns of 
the children of Adam ; for whereas all are born defiled 
with original sin, and enemies of God, thou wast born 
pure, all spotless, and in all things a friend of thy 
Creator. 

Let me, then, also praise thee as thy God himself 
hath praised thee when he said : Thou art all fair, and 
there is not a spot in thee : “ Tota pulchra es et ma- 
cula non est in te.” Oh most pure dove, a\l white, 
all beautiful, and always the friend of God : “ O quam 
pulchra es, arnica mea, quam pulchra es.” Oh most 
sweet, most amiable, immaculate Mary, thou who art 
so beautiful in the eyes of our Lord, do not disdain 
to look with thy pitying eye upon the loathsome 
wounds of my soul. Behold me, pity me, and heal 
me. Oh powerful magnet of hearts, draw also my 
miserable heart to thee. Thou who even from the 
first moment of thy life wast pure and beautiful in the 
sight of God, have pity on me, for I was not only born 
in sin, but after baptism, I again have defiled my soul 
with sin. Will God, who hath chosen thee for his 
child, his mother, and his spouse, and therefore hath 
preserved thee free from every stain, refuse any grace 
to thee ? Virgin immaculate, you must save me ; I 
will say to thee with St. Philip Neri, make me always 
to remember thee, and do not forget me. It seems to 
me a thousand years before I shall go to behold thy 


GLORIES OF MAEY. 


371 


beauty in paradise, to praise and love thee more, my 
mother, my queen, my beloved, most lovely, most 
sweet, most pure, immaculate Mary. Amen. 


DISCOURSE II. 

ON THE BIRTH OF MARY. 

— 

Mary was born a saint, and a great saint , for great was the 
grace with which our Lord enriched her from the beginning, 
and great was the fidelity with which Mary at once corre- 
sponded with it. 

Men are accustomed to celebrate the birth of their 
children with joy and feasting ; but rather ought they 
to weep and give signs of grief and mourning, consid- 
ering that these are born, not only destitute of merits 
and of reason, but moreover infeeted by sin and chil- 
dren of wrath, and therefore condemned to misery and 
death. But with reason do we celebrate, with feasts 
and universal praise, the birth of our infant Mary, for 
she came into this world an infant in age, it is true, 
but great in merits and in virtues. Maiy was born a 
saint, and a great saint. But to conceive the degree 
of sanctity in which she was born, we must call to 
mind, in the first place, how great was the first grace 
with which God enriched Mary ; and in the second, 


372 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


\ 


with how great fidelity Mary at once corresponded 
with God. 

First Point . — Commencing with the first point, it 
is certain that the soul of Mary was the most beauti- 
ful soul that God ever created ; indeed, next to the 
incarnation of the Word, this work was the greatest 
and most worthy of himself that the Omnipotent could 
accomplish in this world — a work, as St. Peter Da- 
mian terms it, which God alone excels : “ Opus quod 
solus Deus supergreditur.” Hence it was that the 
divine grace did not descend upon Mary in drops as 
upon the other saints, but as David predicted : Like 
rain upon the fleece : “ Sicut pluvia in vellus.”* The 
soul of Mary was like wool, that happily imbibed all 
that great shower of graces without losing a drop. 
The holy Virgin, says St. Basil, drew into herself all 
the graces of the Holy Spirit.f. Hence she herself 
said by the mouth of Ecclesiasticus : My abode is in 
the fulness of saints : “ In plenitudine Sanctorum de- 
tentio mea ;”J which St. Bonaventure thus explains : 
I have in fulness all that the other saints have in 
part ;§ and St. Vincent Ferrer, speaking especially of 
the sanctity of Mary before her birth, said, that she 
surpassed all the saints and angels in sanctity. || 

* Psal. lxxi. 6. 

+ Virgo sancta totam sibi bauserat Spiritus Sancti gratiam. 
In Cat. D. Ph. in 1. Luc. 

X c. xxiv. 16 . 

§ Totam teneo in plenitudine quod alii sancti tenent in partes. 
Serm. 8, de B. V. 

| Virgo sanctificata fuit in utero super omnes sanctos et angelos. 


GLOKIES OF MARY. 


373* 


The grace of the blessed Virgin surpassed the grace 
not only of each saint in particular, but of all the saints 
and angels together, as the most learned Father Fran- 
cis Pepe, of the Society of Jesus, proves, in his admi- 
rable work on the grandeur of Jesus and Mary ;* and 
he asserts that this opinion, so glorious for our queen, 
is now common and established among modern the- 
ologians, as Carthagena, Suarez, Spinelli, Recupito, 
Guerra, and others, who have avowedly examined it, 
which was not done by the ancients ; and he further 
relates, that the divine mother sent Father Martin 
Guttierez to thank Father Suarez in her name for 
having, with so much courage, defended this most 
probable opinion, which Father Segneri asserts, in his 
work entitled “ The Servant of Mary,” was main- 
tained by the common consent of the Faculty of 
Salamanca. • 

Now if this opinion is universal and certain, the 
other opinion is also very probable, namely, that Mary 
received from the first moment of her immaculate con- 
ception this grace, superior to the grace of all the 
saints and angels together. This the same Father 
Suarez powerfully defends, and Father Spinelli, Recu- 
pito, f and Colombiere,J follow him. But besides the 
authority of theologians, there are yet two great and 
convincing reasons sufficient to prove the above-men- 
tioned opinion. The first reason is, that Mary was 

* Tom. 3, Lez. 136. 

t Ap. P. Pepe. Loc. cit. 

\ Senn. 29. 


32 


374 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


chosen by God to be tbe mother of the divine Word ; 
hence blessed Denis the Carthusian says, that having 
been elected to an order superior to all creatures (for 
in a certain sense the dignity of mother of God, as 
Father Suarez affirms, belongs to the order of the 
hypostatic union), gifts of a superior order were justly 
bestowed upon her from the beginning of her life, 
so that her graces far exceeded those granted to all 
other creatures. And, indeed, it cannot be doubted, 
that at the same time, when in the divine decrees the 
person of the eternal Word was predestined to be- 
come man, a mother was also destined for him, from 
whom he was to take the human nature, and this was 
our infant Mary. Now St. Thomas teaches that the 
Lord gives to every one grace proportioned to that 
dignity for which he destines him ;* St. Paul taught 
this before, when he said : “ Who alio hath made us 
fit ministers of the New Testament;”! signifying to 
us that the Apostles received from God gifts propor- 
tioned to the great office to which they were elected. 

St. Bernardine of Sienna adds, that when a man is. 
chosen by God for any state, he not only receives the • 
dispositions requisite for that, but also the gifts neces- 
sary to fill the office in a becoming manner.^ Now 

* Unieuique a Deo datur gratia, secundum hoc ad quod eli- 
gitur. 3, p. q. 27, a. 5, ad 1. 

t Qui et idoneos nos fecit ministros Novi Testamenti. 2 Cor. 
iii. 6. 

% Regula firma est in sacra theologia, quod quandocumquc 
Deus aliquem eligit ad aliquem statum, omnia bona illi dispen- 

I 


GLORIES OF MAEY, 


376 


if Mary was chosen to be mother of God, it was meet 
that God should adorn her, even from the first mo- 
ment, with an immense grace, and of an order supe- 
rior to the grace of all other men and angels ; it being 
requisite that the grace should correspond with the 
most high and immense dignity to which God exalted 
her ; in which opinion all theologians agree with St. 
Thomas, who says: The Virgin was elected to be 
the mother of God, and therefore there can be no 
doubt that God, by his grace, rendered her fit for it.* 
Hence Mary, before being made mother of God, was 
adorned with a sanctity so perfect, that it rendered 
her fit for this great dignity. In the blessed Virgin, 
therefore, says the holy doctor, was a perfection, as it 
were preparative, by which she was fitted to become 
the mother of Christ ; and this was the perfection of 
sanctification.f 

And St. Thomas had before said, that Mary was 
called full of grace, not on account of the degree of 
grace, since she had not grace in its highest possible 
degree ; for even the habitual grace of J esus Christ 
(as the same doctor says) was not the highest possible, 
so that God, by his absolute power, could not make it 

set, quse illi statui necessaria sunt et ilium copiose decorant. 
Serm. 10, a. 2, c. 1. 

* Virgo fuit electa, ut esset mater Dei, et ideo non est dubi- 
tandum quia Deus per suam gratiam earn ad hoc idoneam red- 
didit. Loc. cit. art. 4. 

+ In B. Virgine fuit perfectio quasi dispositiva, per quam red- 
debatur idonea ad hoc quod esset mater Christ) ; et hsec fuit 
perfectio sanctificationis. Cit. q. 27, a. 5, ad 2. 


376 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


greater ; although it was grace sufficient to correspond 
to the end for which his humanity was destined by 
the divine Wisdom, that is, for the union with the 
person of the Word.* The divine power, although it 
may form something greater and better than the 
habitual grace of Christ, yet could make nothing 
that should be destined to any thing greater than 
the personal union of the only begotten Son of the 
Father, to which union such a measure of grace would 
sufficiently correspond, according to the idea of divine 
wisdom.f 

The same angelic Doctor teaches, that the divine 
power is so great, that however much it gives, there 
always remains something more to give ; and although 
the natural power of the creature in receiving is in 
itself limited, so that it can be entirely filled, yet the 
power of its obedience to the divine will is unlimited, 
and God can always increase its fulness by making it 
more capable of receiving and hence, to return to 
our proposition, St. Thomas declares, that the blessed 
Virgin, although not full of grace, in respect to abso- 

* 3, p. q. 7, a. 10, ad 1. 

t Virtus divina, licet possit facere aliquid majus et melius, 
quam sit liabitualis gratia Christi; non tamen posset facere quod 
ordinaretur ad aliquid majus quam sit unio personalis ad fili- 
um unigenitum a Patre, cui unioni sufficienter correspondet tabs 
mensura gratise, secundum definitionem divinae sapientise. D. 
q. 7, a. 12, ad 2. 

X Potentiam naturalem ad recipiendum posse totam impleri, 
non autem potentiam obedicntise. S. Th. q. 29, de Verit. a. 8, 
ad 3. 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


377 


lute grace ; yet is called full of grace in respect to 
herself, since she possessed a grace immense, suf- 
ficient, and corresponding to her great dignity, which 
rendered her fit to become the mother of a God.* 
Hence the blessed Fernandez says, that the meas- 
ure by which we can know how great was the grace 
communicated to Mary is her dignity as mother of 
God.f 

Justly, then, did David say, that the foundations of 
this city of God, Mary, should be laid upon the sum- 
mits of the mountains : “ Fundamenta ejus in monti- 
bus sanctis ;”J by which we are to understand that the 
beginning of the life of Mary was more exalted than 
the completed lives of all the saints put together. 
“The Lord loveth the gates of Sion,” the prophet 
continues, “above all the tabernacles of Jacob. ”§ 
And David himself gave this as the reason, namely, 
that God was to make himself man in her virginal 
womb : Man was born in her : “ Homo natus est in 
ea.” Hence it was fitting that God should give to this 
Virgin, even from the first moment he created her, 

* Beata Virgo est plena gratia, non ex parte ipsius gratiae ; 
quia non habuit gratiam in summa excellentia qua potest liaberi, 
nee ad omnes effectus gratiae ; sed dicitur fuisse plena gratia per 
comparationem ad ipsam ; quia scilicet liabebat gratiam suffici- 
entem ad statum ilium, ad quern erat a Deo electa, ut esset ma- 
ter unigeniti ejus. D. q. 7, a. 10, ad 1. 

t Et igitur dignitas matris Dei regula, per quam metiendum, 
quicquid Virgini ab eo collatum credimus. 

% Psal. lxxxvi. 1. 

§ Diligit Dominus portas Sion super omnia tabernacula Ja- 
cob. lxxxvi. 2. 


32 * 


378 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


a grace corresponding with the dignity of the mother 
of God. 

Isaias foretold the same when he said, that in fu- 
ture the mountain of the house of the Lord, which 
was the blessed Virgin, should be prepared on the 
summit of all the other mountains, and therefore all 
the nations must hasten to this mountain, to receive 
the divine favors.* * * § St. Gregory explains this by say- 
ing: Yea, the mountain on the top of mountains, be- 
cause the glory of Mary shone above that of all the 
saints.f And as St. John Damascene expresses it : 
The mountain which it pleased God to choose for his 
habitation.^ Mary was called a cypress, but a cy- 
press of Mount Sion : she was also called a cedar, 
but a cedar of Lebanon; an olive-tree, but a fair 
olive-tree ; chosen, but chosen as the sun ; for, as 
the sun, says St. Peter Damian, with his light so far 
exceeds all the splendor of the stars, that they are 
seen no more when he appears, so the great Virgin 
Mary surpasses, with her sanctity, the merits of the 
whole celestial court.§ And as St. Bernard ele- 
gantly expresses it: Mary was so sublime in sanc- 
tity, that none but Mary was a fitting mother of 

* Et erit in novissimis diebus prseparatus mons domus Domi- 
ni in vertice montium, et elevabitur super colies, et fluent ad 
eum omnes gentes. Isa. ii. 2. 

t Mons quippe in vertice montium, quia altitudo Marise super 
omnes sanctos refulsit. L. 1, in 1, Reg. c. v. 

X Mons in quo beneplacitum est Deo babitare in eo. 

§ Siderum rapit positionem, ut sint quasi non sint ; sic Virgo 
merita singulorum et omnium antecedit. Serm. de Ass. 


GLORIES OF MART. 379 

God. And no other Son than God was befittino- 

o 

Mary.* 

The second argument which proves that Mary, in 
the first moment of her life, was more holy than all 
the saints united, is founded upon the great office 
which she had from the beginning, of mediatrix of 
men ; for which it was requisite that she should pos- 
sess a greater treasure of grace than the whole human 
race together. It is very well known how universally 
this title of mediatrix is applied by theologians and 
by the very holy Fathers to Mary, since by her power- 
ful intercession and merits de congruo she has ob- 
tained salvation for all, procuring for the ruined world 
the great blessing of redemption. It is said by merit 
de congruo , because Jesus Christ alone is our mediator 
by way of justice, and by merit de condigno, as it is 
expressed by the schools, he having offered to the 
eternal Father his merits, which he has accepted for 
our salvation. Mary, on the contrary, is the mediatrix 
of grace by way of simple intercession, and of merit 
de congruo , she having offered to God, as the theo- 
logians say with St. Bonaventure, her merits for the 
salvation of all men; and God, through grace, has 
accepted them in union with the merits of Jesus 
Christ. Hence Arnold Camotensis says: She ef- 
fected our salvation in common with Christ.f And 

* Neque enim decebat Deum alia mater quam Virgo neque 
Virginem alius filius quam Deus. 

f Ipsa in nostra salute communem cum Christo effectum obti- 
nuit. 


380 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


Richard of St. Victor, also : She desired, sought, and 
obtained the salvation of all; nay, more, the salva- 
tion of all was effected through her.* * * § So that every 
blessing and every gift of eternal life which each of 
the saints has received from God, has been obtained 
for them by Mary. 

And it is this which the holy Church wishes us to 
understand, when she honors the divine mother by ap- 
plying to her these passages of Ecclesiasticus : In me 
is all grace of the way and of the truth : “ In me gratia 
omnis vise et veritatis.”f It is said : Of the way,^ be- 
cause through Mary all graces are dispensed to those 
who are still on the road to heaven : Of the truth, because 
‘through Mary is given the light of truth. In me is 
all hope of life and of virtue : “ In me omnes spes 
vitse et virtutis.”| Of life, because through Mary we 
hope to attain the life of grace upon earth, and of 
glory in heaven ; and of virtue, because through Mary 
virtue is obtained, and especially the theological vir- 
tues, which are the principal virtues of the saints. I 
am the mother of fair love, and of fear, and of knowl- 
edge, and of holy hope.§ Mary by her intercession 
obtains for her servants the gifts of divine love, of 
holy fear, of celestial light, and of holy confidence. 
And St. Bernard infers that it is taught by the 

* Omnium salutem desideravit, quaesivit, obtinuit ; imo om- 

nium salus per ipsam effecta. C. 86, in Cant. 

+ C. xxiv. 25. } ibid. 

§ Ego mater pulchrse dilectionis, et timoris, et agnitionis, et 
sancto spei. 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


381 


Church, that Mary is the universal mediatrix of our 
salvation. “ Extol the finder of grace, the mediatrix of 
salvation, the restorer of ages.” Thus the Church 
sings of her to me, and hath taught me to sing the 
same.* * * § 

Therefore, as St. Sophronius, Patriarch of Jerusa- 
lem, asserts, the archangel Gabriel called her full of 
grace : “ Ave gratia plena because whilst to others, 
as the saint above mentioned remarks, limited grace is 
given, to Mary it was given in fulness.f And thus it 
was ordered, as St. Basil attests, that in this way she 
might become the worthy mediatrix between God 
and men.J For if the Virgin had not been full of 
divine grace, as St. Lawrence Justinian adds, how 
could she be the ladder of paradise, the advocate of 
the world, and the true mediatrix between God and 
men ?§ 

The second argument is now made perfectly clear : 
If Mary, even from the beginning, as already des- 
tined to be the mother of the common Redeemer, re- 
ceived the office of mediatrix of all men, and conse- 

* Magnifica gratia} inventricem, mediatricem salutis, restaura- 
tricein sseculorum. • Hsec mihi de ilia cantat Ecclesia, et me ea- 
dem docuit decantare. Epist. 174, ad Canonic. Lugd. 

+ Bene plena, quia caeteris sanctis datur gratia per partes ; 
Mariae vero tota se infudit plenitudo gratiae. Serin, de Ass. 

\ Ave gratia plena, propterea Deum inter et homines media- 
trix intercedens. 

§ Quomodo non est Maria plena gratia, quae effecta est para- 
disi scala, interventrix mundi, Dei atque hominum verissima 
mediatrix. Serm. de ann. B. V. 


382 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


quently also of all the saints, it was requisite that she, 
from the beginning, should have a greater grace than 
all the saints had, for whom she was to intercede. 
To explain myself more clearly, if by means of Mary 
all men were to render themselves dear to God, it was 
meet that Mary should be more holy and more dear 
to God than all men united. Otherwise, how could 
she intercede for all others ? In order that an inter- 
cessor may obtain from his prince favor for all his 
vassals, it is absolutely necessary that he, more than 
all the other vassals, should be dear to his monarch. 
And Mary, therefore, concludes St. Anselm, merited 
to be the worthy restorer of the ruined world, because 
she was the most holy and most pure of all creatures.* 
Mary was, then, the mediatrix of men, some one 
will say, but can she be called also the mediatrix of 
angels? Many theologians are of opinion that Jesus 
Christ obtained by his merits the grace of perseverance 
also for the angels ; so that as Jesus Christ was their 
mediator de condigno, Mary may also be called their 
mediatrix de congruo , having hastened by her prayers 
the coming of the Redeemer. At least, having mer- 
ited de congruo to be chosen for the mother of the 
Messias, she merited for the angels the restoration of 
their seats which had been lost by the demons. Then, 
at least, she merited for them this accidental glory ; 
hence, Richard of St. Victor says : Every creature by 

* Pura sanctitas pectoris ejus, omnis creaturse puritatem, sanc- 
titatemque transcendens, promeruit ut reparatrix perditi orbis 
dignissima fieret. De Excell. Virg. c. 9. 


GLORIES OF MART. 


383 


her is restored, the ruin of the angels by her is re- 
paired, and human nature is reconciled.* And St. 
Anselm before had said : All things by this Virgin 
are reclaimed and restored to their pristine state.f 
So that our heavenly child, because she was ap- 
pointed mediatrix of the world, as well as predestined 
for the mother of the Redeemer, even from the first 
moment of her life, received grace greater than that 
of all the saints united. Hence how lovely in the 
sight of heaven and earth was the beautiful soul of 

O 

that happy infant, although still inclosed in the womb 
of its mother ! In the eye of God she was the crea- 
ture most worthy of love, because, already full of 
grace and of merit, she could, even at that time, exult 
and say: When I was a little child I pleased the 
Most High : “ Cum essem parvula, placui Altissimo.” 
And at the same time she was the creature most full of 
love for God that until that time had appeared in this 
world ; so that Mary, had she been bora immediately 
after her most pure conception, would have come into 
the world more rich in merits, and more holy, than all 
the saints united. Now, let us consider how much 
more holy she was at her birth, coming to the light 
after the acquisition of those merits which she made 
during the nine months that she remained in her 

* Utraque creatura per hanc reparatur, et angelorum ruina 
per hanc restaurata est, et natura humana reconciliata. In 
Cant. 4. 

t Cuncta per hanc Virginem in statum pristinum revocata 
sunt et restaurata. De Exc. Virg. c. 11. 


384 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


mother's womb. Let us now go on to consider the 
second point, namely : how great was the fidelity with 
which Mary at once corresponded with the divine 
grace. 

Second Point . — It is not now an individual opinion 
of some few divines, says a learned author,* it is the 
opinion of the whole world, that the holy infant, when 
she received sanctifying grace in the womb of St. 
Anna, received at the same time the perfect use of 
reason, with a great divine light corresponding to the 
grace with which she was enriched. Hence we may 
believe, that from the first moment when her pure soul 
was united to her most pure body, she was enlightened 
with divine wisdom to comprehend eternal truths, the 
beauty of virtue, above all, the infinite goodness of 
her God, and how much he deserves to be loved by 
all men, but especially by her, on account of the pecu- 
liar graces with which he had adorned her and distin- 
guished her from all creatures, preserving her from 
the stain of original sin, bestowing on her a grace so 
abundant, and destining her for the mother of the 
Word and the queen of the universe. 

Hence Mary, from that moment grateful to her 
God, began to effect all that she could, using faith- 
fully all that great treasure of grace that she had re- 
ceived ; and wholly applying herself to please and 
love the divine goodness. From that moment she 
loved him with all her strength, and thus continued 
to love him through all those nine months that she 
* Father La Colombiere. Serm. 81. 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


385 


lived before her birth, in which she did not cease for 
a moment to unite herself to God by fervent acts of 
love. She was free from original sin, and therefore 
she was also exempt from every earthly attachment, 
from eveiy irregular tendency, from every distraction, 
from all strife of the senses, which could have pre- 
vented her from advancing constantly in the divine 
love. All her senses united with her blessed spirit in 
drawing her near to God. Hence her pure soul, freed 
from every hindrance, without lingering, always rose to 
God, always loved him, and always increased in love to 
him. Therefore she called herself a plane-tree planted 
by the.waters : “ Quasi platanus exaltata sum juxta 
aquam for she, indeed, was that noble tree of God 
that always grew beside the stream of divine grace. 
She also called herself a vine : As the vine I have 
brought forth a pleasant odor : “ Ego quasi vitis fruc- 
tificavi suavitatem odoris ;”f not only because she 
was so humble in the eyes of the world, but also be- 
cause, as the vine never ceases to grow : “ Vitis nullo 
fine crescit according to the Proverb, so the most 
holy Virgin always increased in perfection. The growth 
of other trees, as the orange, mulberry, pear, &c., is 
determinate, but the vine always increases, and increases 
in proportion to the height of the tree by which it is 
supported. Hail, oh vine, always vigorous ! thus St. 
Gregory Thaumaturgus salutes her ;J for she was 
always united to her God, who was her only support. 

* Eccli. xxiv. 19. t Eccli. xxiv. 28. 

% Serm. 1, in Ann. 

33 


386 


GLORIES OF MART. 


Thus it was of her that the Holy Spirit spoke, when 
he said : Who is this that cometh up from the desert 
flowing with delights, leaning on her beloved ?* Com- 
menting on this, St. Ambrose says : Who is this that, 
accompanied by the divine Word, increases like the 
vine supported by a lofty tree ?f 

Many grave theologians teach, that the soul which 
possesses a habit of virtue, whenever she corresponds 
faithfully with the actual graces which she afterwards 
receives from God, always produces an act equal in 
intensity to the habit she possesses ; so that each time 
she acquires a new and double merit, equal to the aggre- 
gate of all the merits before acquired. This increase, 
as they say, was granted to the angels in the time of 
their probation ; and if it were granted to the angels, 
who shall say that it was not also given to the divine 
mother while she lived on this earth, but especially in 
the time of which I am speaking, when she remained 
in the womb of her mother, and was certainly more 
faithful than the angels, in corresponding with grace ? 
Mary, then, during all that time was redoubling con- 
tinually that sublime grace, which from the first mo- 
ment she possessed ; for, corresponding with all her 
power and perfection in every act she performed, at 
every successive moment she redoubled her merits. 
Hence, if, iri the first moment, she had received a 

* Quae est ista, quae ascendit de deserto deliciis affluens, in- 
nixa super dilectum suum ? Cant. viii. 5. 

t Hoc est quae ascendit, ita ut inliaeret Dei Yerbo, sicut vitis 
propago ? Ap. Seg. Pred. 40, dell’ Ann. 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


387 


thousand degrees of grace, in the second she had two 
thousand, in the third four thousand, in the fourth 
eight thousand, in the fifth sixteen thousand, in the 
sixth thirty thousand ; and yet we have only reached 
the sixth moment. But multiply in this way for a 
whole day, multiply for nine months, and consider 
what treasures of grace, of merits, and of sanctity 
Mary brought into the world when she was bom. 

Let us rejoice, then, with our infant, who was born 
so holy, so dear to God, and so full of grace ; and let 
us rejoice not only for her, but also for ourselves, since 
she came into the world full of grace, not only for her 
own glory, but for our good. St. Thomas says the 
most holy Virgin was full of grace in three ways : 
1st, She was full of grace in soul, so that from the 
beginning her holy soul belonged entirely to God. 
2d, She was full of grace in body, so that she merited 
to clothe the eternal Word with her pure flesh. 3d, 
She was full of grace for the common benefit, so that 
all men might share it.* Some saints, adds the angelic 
Doctor, have so much grace, that not only is it enough 
for themselves, but also to save many others, not, 
however, all men ; only to Jesus Christ and Mary was 
given so great a grace that it was sufficient to save all 
men. If any one had enough for the salvation of all, 
that would be the greatest; and this was in Jesus 
Christ and the blessed Virgin.f Thus St. Thomas 

* Fuit etiam gratia plena quantum ad refusionem ad omnes 
homines. 

+ Sed quando quis haberet tantum, quod sufficeret ad salu- 


388 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


writes. Hence, what St. John said of Jesus — “And 
of his fulness we all have received”* — the saints say 
of Mary. St. Thomas of Villanova says: Full of 
grace, of whose fulness all receive.f Therefore St. 
Anselm remarks, there is no one who does not share 
in the grace of Mary.J And is there any one in the 
world to whom Mary is not merciful, and on whom 
she does not bestow some favor ?§ From Jesus, how- 
ever (we should understand), we receive grace as from 
the author of grace, from Mary as the mediatrix ; from 
Jesus as the Saviour, from Mary as the advocate; 
from Jesus as the fountain, from Mary as the channel. 

Therefore St. Bernard says that God has established 
Mary as the channel of the mercies which he wishes 
to dispense to men ; and for this reason he filled her 
with grace, that every one might receive his portion 
of her fulness. A full channel, that all might partake 
of its fulness, but not receive the fulness itself. || 
Hence the saint exhorts all to consider with how much 
love God will have us honor this great Virgin, since 
in her he has placed all the treasure of his blessings ; 

tem omnium, hoc esset maximum; et hoc fuit in Christo et 
beata Yirgine. Opusc. 8. 

* Et de plenitudine ejus nos omnes accepimus. C. i. 16. 

f Gratia plena, de cujus plenitudine accipiunt universi. 

% Ita ut nullus sit, qui de plenitudine gratise Virginis non sit 
particeps. 

§ Quis unquam reperitur cui Virgo propitia non sit ? Quis 
ad quern ejus misericordia non se extendat? 

|| Plenus aquseductus, ut accipiant cseteri de plenitudine, sed 
non plenitudinem ipsam. 


GLORIES OF MART. 389 

that whatever we possess of hope, grace, and salva- 
tion, we may thank our most loving queen for it ; since 
it all comes to us through her hands, and by her in- 
tercession.* Miserable is that soul who closes for 
herself this channel of grace, by neglecting to recom- 
mend herself to Mary ! When Holophernes wished 
to make himself master of the city of Bethulia, he 
ordered the aqueducts to be destroyed : “ And he 
commanded their aqueduct to be cut off.”f And this 
the devil does when he wishes to make himself master 
of a soul, he makes her abandon the devotion to the 
most holy Mary. When this channel is closed, she 
will at once lose the light and the fear of God, and 
finally eternal salvation. By the following example 
it will be seen how great is the compassion of the 
heart of Mary, and the ruin which he brings upon 
himself who closes this channel, and abandons devo- 
tion to this queen of heaven. 

EXAMPLE. 

It is narrated by Tritemius, Canisius, and others, 
that in Magdeburg, a city of Saxony, there was a 
certain man named Udo, who, from his youth, had 
been so destitute of talent that he was the ridicule of 
all his school -fellows. Now one day, being more than 


* Intueamini quanto devotionis affectu a nobis earn voluerit 
honorari, qui totius boni plenitudinem posuit in Maria ; ut pro- 
inde si quid spei nobis est, si quid gratiae, si quid salutis, ab ea 
noverimus redundare. Serm. de Aqused. 
f Incidi praecepit aquseductus illorum. Judith vii. 6. 

33 * 


r 


390 GLORIES OF MART. 

usually disheartened, he went to pray to the most holy 
Virgin before her image. Mary appeared to him in a 
dream, and said to him : “ Udo, I will console you, and 
not only will I obtain from God for you abilities which 
will protect you from derision, but even talents -which 
will make you admired ; and moreover, after the death 
of the bishop, I promise that you shall be elected in 
his place.” Thus Mary said, and thus it came to pass. 
Udo made great progress in the sciences, and ob- 
tained the bishopric of that city. But Udo was so 
ungrateful to God and to his benefactress for these 
favors, that he neglected all his devotions and became 
the scandal of the place. Whilst he was in bed one 
night with a wicked companion, he heard a voice say- 
ing to him : “Udo, cease this sinful pastime, you have 
sinned enough.”* At first he was irritated by these 
words, thinking it was some one who was reproving 
him ; but hearing it repeated a second and a third 
night, he began to tremble a little, lest it should be a 
voice from heaven. Notwithstanding all this, he con- 
tinued in his wickedness. But after God had given 
him three months for repentance, behold the punish- 
ment ! One night a devout canon, named Frederic, 
was praying, in the church of St. Maurice, that God 
would remove the scandal which Udo gave ; when, 
behold, the door of the church was burst open by a 
strong wind. Two youths entered with lighted torch- 
es in their hands, and stood on each side of the high 


* Udo cessa deludo ; lusisti satis;; Udo. 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


391 


altar. Then two others followed, who spread before 
the altar a carpet, and placed upon it two thrones of 
gold. Another youth, in military attire, followed, 
with a sword in his hand, and stopping in the midst 
of the church, cried : “Oh ye saints of heaven, whose 
relics are preserved in this church, come to assist at 
the great justice which the sovereign Judge is about 
to execute.” At these words many saints appeared, 
and also the twelve apostles, as assistants in this 
judgment. Lastly, Jesus Christ entered, and seated 
himself on one of these thrones. Afterwards Mary 
appeared, attended by many holy virgins, and seated 
herself on the other throne at the side of her Son. 
The Judge now ordered that the culprit should be 
brought forward, and he was the miserable Udo. St. 
Maurice spoke, and demanded, in the name of the peo- 
ple whom he had scandalized, justice for his infamous 
life. All present raised their voices and said : “ Oh 
Lord, he merits death.” “ Let him die, then,” said 
the eternal Judge. But before the sentence was exe- 
cuted (see how great is the mercy of Mary) she, the 
kind mother, that she might not be present at that 
tremendous act of justice, left the church ; and then 
the heavenly minister, who entered among the first, 
with the sword, approaching Udo, with one blow 
severed the head from the body, and the vision van- 
ished. The place was left dark. The canon, trem- 
bling, went for a light from a lamp which was burning 
under the church ; and when he returned, saw the 
body of Udo with the head cut off, and the pavement 


392 


GLORIES OF MART. 


all covered with blood. When daylight came, the 
people thronged the church, and the canon related the 
whole vision and the circumstances of that fearful 
tragedy. And on the same day the wretched Udo, 
who was condemned to hell, appeared to one of his 
chaplains, who knew nothing of what had taken place 
in the church. The body of Udo was thrown into a 
marsh, and his blood remained for a perpetual me- 
morial on that pavement, which was always covered 
with a carpet ; and from that time it became the cus- 
tom to uncover it when a new bishop took possession 
of the church, that at the sight of such a punishment 
he might be mindful to lead a good life, and not be 
ungrateful for the graces of the Lord and of his most 
holy mother. 


PRAYER. 

Oh holy and heavenly infant Mary ! thou who art 
the destined mother of my Redeemer and the great 
mediatrix of miserable sinners, have pity on me. Be- 
hold at thy feet another ungrateful creature who has 
recourse to thee and implores thy mercy. It is true 
that, for my ingratitude towards God and thee, I am 
deserving of being abandoned by God and by thee ; 
but I have been told, and thus I believe, knowing how 
great is thy compassion, that thou wilt not refuse to 
help him who, with confidence, recommends himself 
to thee. Thou, oh most exalted of all creatures, since 
there is no one above thee but God, and, in comparison 
with thee, the greatest in heaven are but small ; oh 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


393 


saint of saints, oh Mary, abyss of grace, full of grace, 
help a miserable sinner who has lost it by his own 
fault. I know that thou art so dear to God that he 
denies thee nothing. I know also that thou dost re- 
joice to employ thy greatness in relieving the dis- 
tressed. Ah, make known how great is thy favor with 
God by obtaining for me a divine light and a flame so 
powerful that it may change me from a sinner into a 
saint, and, detaching me from every earthly affection, 
may wholly inflame me with divine love. Do this, oh 
Lady, because thou canst do it ; do this for the love 
of that God who has made thee so great, so powerful, 
and merciful. Thus I hope. Amen. 


DISCOURSE III. 

ON THE PRESENTATION OF MARY. 


The offering which Mary made of herself to God was prompt, 
without delay ; entire , without reserve. 

There never has been, and there never will be, any 
offering of a pure creature greater and more perfect 
than that which Mary made to God, being yet only a 
child of three years, when she presented herself in 
the temple to offer him, not spices, nor calves, nor 
talents of gold, but her whole self as a perfect holo- 
caust, consecrating herself as a perpetual victim in 
his honor. Well did she understand the voice of God, 


394 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


which even then called her to dedicate herself wholly 
to his love, with these words : Arise, make haste, my 
love, and come : “ Surge, propera, arnica mea, et veni.”* * * § 
And therefore her Lord would have her from thence- 
forth forget her country, her parents, and every thing, 
to attend to nothing but to love and please him: 
“ Hearken, oh daughter, and see and incline thy ear ; 
and forget thy people and thy father’s house. ”f And 
she at once obeyed promptly the divine voice. Let 
us consider, then, how acceptable to God was this 
offering which Mary made of herself, as she presented 
herself promptly and entirely to him ; promptly with- 
out delay ; entirely without reserve ; these are the two 
points. 

First Point . — Mary offered herself to God promptly. 
From the first moment when this heavenly infant was 
sanctified in the womb of her mother (which was at 
the first moment of her immaculate conception), she re- 
ceived the perfect use of reason, that she might from 
thenceforth begin to merit, as the Doctors universally 
agree; and one of them, Father Suarez, says, that as 
the most perfect mode by which God sanctifies a soul 
is its sanctification by its own merits, as St. Thomas 
teaches, J so it is to be believed that the blessed Vir- 
gin has been thus sanctified.§ And if this privilege 

* Cant. ii. 10. 

f Audi, filia, et vide, et inclina aurem tuam ; et obliviscere 
populum tuura, et domum patris tui. Psal. xliv. 11. 

\ S p. q. 19, a. 3. 

§ Sanctiiicari per propium actum est perfectior modus. Ergo 


GLORIES OF MART. 


395 


was granted to the angels and to Adam, as the angelic 
Doctor says,* much more should we believe that it 
was granted to the divine mother, on whom we cannot 
doubt that God, having deigned to make her his mother, 
conferred greater gifts than on all other creatures, 
as the same Doctor teaches. From her he received 
his human nature, hence before all others she must 
have obtained from Christ the fulness of grace ;f for, 
being mother, as Father Suarez says, she has a certain 
peculiar right to all the gifts of her Son.J And as, 
by the hypostatic union, Jesus must of right have the 
fulness of all graces ; thus by the divine maternity, it 
was meet that Jesus should confer on Mary, as a 
natural debt, greater graces than those bestowed on 
all the other saints and angels. 

Thus, from the beginning of her life, Maiy knew 
God, and knew him so well, that no tongue, as the 
angel declared to St. Bridget, shall suffice to tell how 
the intellect of the holy Virgin clearly saw God in the 
first moment she knew him.§ And even in that first 
moment of light by which she was illuminated, she 
offered herself wholly to her Lord, dedicating herself 

credendum est hoc modo fuisse sanctificatam Virginem. To. 
2, in 3 p. D. 4, 5, 8. 

* 1 p. q. 63, a. 5, et q. 95, a. 2. 

t Ex ea accepit humanam Naturam, et ideo prae caeteris majo- 
rem debuit a Christo gratis plenitudinem obtinere. 3 p. q. 
27, a. 5. 

% Unde fit ut singulare jus habeat ad dona filii sui. T. 2, in 
8, p. D. 1, 5, 2. 

§ Serm. Aug. c. 14. 


396 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


entirely to his love and glory, as the angel continued 
to say to St. Bridget : “ At once our queen resolved to 
sacrifice her will to God, with all her love, for the 
whole time of her life ; and no one can understand 
how completely her will submitted itself then to em- 
brace all things pleasing to him.”* * * § 

Yet, when the immaculate infant understood after- 
wards that her holy parents, Joachim and Anna, had 
promised to God, even by a vow, as various authors 
relate, that if he should grant them a child, it should 
be consecrated to his service in the temple ; for it was 
an ancient custom of the Jews to place their children 
in cells which were near the temple, that there they 
might be properly educated, as we learn from Baro- 
nius, Nicephorus, Cedrenus, and Suarez, as also from 
Josephus, the Jewish historian, St. John Damascene, 
St. Gregory of Nicomedia, St. Anselm, f and St. Am- 
brose.;); As it is also clearly seen in Macchabees, 
where, speaking of Heliodorus, who wished to enter 
the temple by force, in order to take from it the treas- 
ures deposited there, it is said : “ Because the place 
was like to come into contempt .... the virgins that 
were shut up hastened to Onias.”§ When Mary knew 
of this vow, as I have before said, she wished solemnly 
to offer and consecrate herself to God, by presenting 


* Serm. Ang. c. 14. 

t De Form, et Mor. B. M. 

X DeVir. 1. 1. 

§ Pro eo quod in contemptum locus csset venlurus . . . Vir- 
gines quae conclusse erant, procurrebant ad Oniam. 


GLOEIES OF MAEY. 


397 


herself in the temple, as Germanus asserts, and also 
St. Epiphanius, who says, that when she was hardly 
three years old she was presented in the temple,* * * § at an 
age when children have the greatest desire for the 
assistance of their parents, and need it the most. She 
was even the first to entreat her parents earnestly that 
they would take her to the temple, to fulfil their prom- 
ise; and her holy mother, Anna, as St. Gregory of 
Nyssa says, did not delay to bring her there, and offer 
her to God.f 

And behold, Joachim and Anna, generously sacri- 
ficing to God what was dearest to them on earth, set 
out from Nazareth, carrying by turns, in their arms, 
their beloved little daughter, who could not walk so 
great a distance as was that from Nazareth to Jerusa- 
lem, a journey, as several authors assert, of eighty 
miles. They thus went on their way, accompanied by 
only a few of their relations, but by hosts of angels, as 
St. George of Nicomedia asserts, J who attended and 
ministered to the immaculate Virgin, as she went to 
dedicate herself to the Divine Majesty. How beauti- 
ful are thy steps, oh prince’s daughter ! “ Quam pul 1 - 
chri sunt gressus tui, filia principis !”§ Oh, how beau- 
tiful, how pleasing to God, as the angels sung, are 
thy steps, as thou goest to offer thyself to him, oh 

* Tertio anno oblata est in templo. Serna, de Laud. Virg. 

t Anna haud cunctata est earn at templum adducere, ac Deo 
offeree. Or. de Nat. Chr. 

X De Oblat. Deip. 

§ Cant. vii. 1. 


34 


398 


GLORIES OF MART. 


great and chosen daughter of our common Lord! 
God himself on that day, says Bernardine de Bustis, 
celebrated a great feast with the whole celestial court, 
when he beheld his spouse conducted to the temple.* 
For he never saw a creature more holy and more be- 
loved offering herself to him.f Go, then, said St. 
Germanus, Archbishop of Constantinople, go, oh queen 
of the world, oh mother of God, go joyfully to the 
house of the Lord, to wait for the coming of the Holy 
Spirit that will make thee mother of the eternal 
Word.J; 

When the holy company had arrived at the temple, 
the eager child turned to her parents, kneeling kissed 
their hands, and asked for their benediction ; and then, 
without turning back, she ascended the fifteen steps 
of the temple, as Arias Montanus relates upon the au- 
thority of Josephus, the Jewish historian, and presented 
herself to the priest, who, according to St. Germanus, 
was Zachary ; then, taking leave of the world, and 
renouncing all the goods which it promises to its fol- 
lowers, she offered and consecrated herself to her Cre- 
ator. 

At the time of the 'deluge, the raven which was 
sent by Noe from the ark remained to feed upon the 

* Magnam quoque festivitatem fecit Deus cum angelis in de- 
dactione suae sponsoe ad templum. Marial. p. 4, Serm. 1. 

t Quia nullus unquam Deo gratior, usque ad illud tempus as- 
cendit. Loc. cit. 

\ Abi ergo, ol\ Domina Mater Dei, in atria Domini, exultans et 
expectans Sancti Spiritus adventum et unigeniti Filii concep- 
tionem. De Oblat. Virg. 


GLORIES OF MART. 


399 


bodies of the dead, but the dove without stopping to 
rest her foot, returned quickly to the ark : She re- 
turned to him into the ark : “ Re versa est ad eum in 
arcam.”* Many who are sent by God into this world, 
unhappily stop to feed on earthly things. Not so 
Mary, our celestial dove ; she knew that God should 
be our only good, our only hope, our only love ; she 
knew that the frorld is full of dangers, and that he 
who the soonest leaves it, is freest from its snares; 
therefore she sought promptly to flee from it in her ten- 
derest years, and seclude herself in the sacred retire- 
ment of the temple, where she could better hear the 
voice of God, and better honor and love him. And 
thus the holy Virgin, from the beginning of her life, 
rendered herself dear and acceptable to her Lord, as 
the holy Church makes her say : “ Rejoice with me, 
all ye who love the Lord, for when I was little I 
pleased the Most High.”f For this reason she was 
compared to the moon; for as the moon completes 
her course more quickly than the other planets, so 
Mary attained perfection sooner than all the saints, 
by giving herself promptly to God without delay ; 
and entirely without reserve. And now let us pass to 
the second point, upon which we shall have much to 
say. 

Point Second . — The enlightened infant well knew 

* Gen. viii. 9. 

t Congratulamini mihi omnes qui diligitis Dominum, quia, 
cum essem parvula, placui altissimo. In 2, Resp. 1, Noct. in 
Rest. S. M. ad Niv. 


400 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


that God does not accept a divided heart, but wishes 
it entirely consecrated to his love, according to the 
precept he has given : “ Thou shalt love the Lord 
thy God with thy whole heart.”* Hence, from the 
first moment of her existence, she began to love God 
with all her strength, and gave herself wholly to him. 
But her most holy soul awaited with earnest desire the 
time when she could in reality consecrate herself en- 
tirely, and with a public solemnity, to God. Let us 
consider, then, with how great a fervor the loving Vir- 
gin, seeing herself actually inclosed in that holy place, 
first prostrated herself to kiss that ground as the house 
of the Lord, then adored his infinite majesty, and 
thanked him for the favor she had received of being 
brought so early to inhabit his house. Then she of- 
fered herself entirely to her God; entirely, without 
reserving any thing. She offered to him all her pow- 
ers and all her senses, her whole mind and her whole 
heart, her whole soul and her whole body, for it was 
then, as we are told, that to please God, she made the 
vow of virginity. A vow, according to Rupert the 
Abbot, that Mary was the first to make : “ Votum vir- 
ginitatis prima emisit.”f And she offered herself with- 
out limitation of time, as Bernardine de Bustis asserts : 
Mary offered and dedicated herself to the perpetual 
service of God.]; Since she had then the intention 

* Diliges Dominum Deum tuum ex toto corde tuo. 

t Lib. 1, de Inst. Virg. 

% Maria seipsam perpetuis Dei obsequiis obtulit et dedicavit. 
Mar. p. 4, Serm. 1. 


GLORIES OF MART. 


401 


of dedicating her whole life to the service of his Divine 
Majesty in the temple, if it should so please God ; and 
of never quitting that sacred place, Oh, with what af- 
fection must she have exclaimed : My beloved to me, 
and I to him : “ Dilectus meus mihi, et ego illi.”* I 
for him, as Cardinal Hugo remarks, will wholly live 
and will wholly die : “ Ego illi tota vivam, et tota mo- 
riar.” My Lord and my God, she said, I have come 
hither only to please thee, and to give thee all the 
honor I can ; here I will live wholly for thee and die 
for thee, if it so please thee ; accept the sacrifice which 
this thy poor servant makes to thee, and help me to be 
faithful to thee. 

And here let us consider how holy was the life that 
Mary led in the temple, where, like the rising morn, 
“ Quasi aurora consurgens,” increasing always in per- 
fection, as the dawn increases in light ; who can de- 
scribe how, from day to day, in her more brightly 
shone her virtues ; charity, modesty, humility, silence, 
mortification, meekness ? This fair olive-tree, planted 
in the house of God, as St. John Damascene says, 
under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, became the 
habitation of all the virtues.f The same saint says in 
another place: The countenance of the Virgin was 
modest, her mind humble, her words kind, proceeding 
from a recollected heart. J And he elsewhere asserts 

* Cant. ii. 16. 

+ Ad templum adducitur, ac deinde in domo Dei plantata, at- 
que per spiritum saginata, instar olivae frugi ferae virtutum om- 
nium domicilium efficitur. L. 4, de Fid. c. 15. 

% Or. 1, de Nat. Virg. 


34 * 


402 GLORIES OF MART. 

The Virgin withdrew her thoughts from all earthly 
things, embracing all the virtues. Thus, then, by the 
practice of perfection, she made so great progress in a 
short time, as to merit being made a temple worthy of 
God.* * * § 

St. Anselm, also, speaking of the life of the holy 
Virgin in the temple, says : Mary was docile, spoke 
little, was always composed, never laughed, was never 
distracted. She persevered in prayer, in the reading 
of the Holy Scripture, in fasting, and all virtuous 
works.f St. Jerome goes more into detail, and tells 
us how Mary’s life was ordered: From early in the 
morning till nine o’clock she remained in prayer ; from 
nine to three she was engaged in labor; at three 
she resumed her prayers, until the angel, as usual, 
brought her food. She was the most constant in 
vigils, the most exact in obedience to the divine law, 
the most profound in humility, and the most perfect 
in every virtue. No one ever saw her angry ; all her 
words were so full of sweetness, that when she spoke 
it always appeared that God was with her.J 

The divine mother herself revealed to St. Elizabeth, 
a Benedictine nun, in the convent of Sconaugia, as we 
read in St. Bonaventure,§ that when she was left in 
the temple by her parents, she resolved on having 

* De Fid. Ort. 1. 4,c.l5. 

t De Form, et Mor. B. M. 

X S. Gir. appres. l’ist. della vita di Maria del P. Gius. di Gesu. 
e Maria. Carm. Scalzo. 1. 2, c. 1. 

§ Vita Christi. o. 3. 


GLORIES OF MARY. 403 

God alone for father, and often thought what she 
could do to please him.* She determined, moreover, 
to consecrate to him her virginity, and to possess 
nothing in the world, giving her entire will to God.j- 
She also told her that above all the divine precepts to 
be observed, she placed before her eyes the precept, 
“ Thou shalt love the Lord thy God,”J and that she 
went in the middle of the night to pray the Lord be- 
fore the altar of the temple, that he would grant her 
the grace to observe the commandments, and to see the 
mother of the Redeemer born while she lived, praying 
him that he would preserve her eyes to see her, her 
tongue to praise her, her hands and feet to serve her, 
and her knees to adore in her arms, his divine Son. 
St. Elizabeth, on hearing this, said to her : “ But, my 
Lady, were you not full of grace and virtue ?” and 
Mary answered her : “ Know that I esteemed myself 
the most vile, and unworthy of divine grace ; therefore 
I prayed thus for grace and virtues.” And, finally, 
that she might persuade us of the absolute necessity 
we are all under, of asking from God the graces that 
we need, she added : “ Do you think that I obtained 
grace and virtue without effort? Know that I re- 
ceived no grace from God without great effort, con- 

* Cum pater meus et mater mea dimiserunt me in templo, 
statui in corde meo habere Deum in patrem, et ssepe cogitabam 
quid possem facere illi gratum. 

f Statui servare virginitatem ; nihil unquam possidero iu 
mundo ; et omnem voluntatem meam Deo commisi. 

X Diliges Dominum Deum tumn. 


404 GLORIES OF MARY. 

stant prayer, ardent desire, and many tears and pen- 
ances.” 

But above all, we should consider the revelations 
made to St. Bridget, of the virtues and exercises 
practised by the blessed Virgin in her childhood, in 
these words : “ Even from an infant Mary was filled 
with the Holy Spirit, and as she increased in age, she 
increased also in grace. Even from that time she re- 
solved to love God with all her heart, so that he 
should never be offended by her actions or her words, 
and for this reason all the goods of earth were de- 
spised by her. She gave all she could to the poor. 
In her food she was so temperate that she only took 
what was absolutely necessary to support life. Dis- 
covering then from the sacred Scriptures, that this 
God was to be born from a virgin to redeem the 
world, her spirit was so kindled with divine love that 
she desired and thought only of God ; and taking- 
pleasure only in God, shunned the conversation even 
of her parents, that they might not hinder her from 
thinking on God. And more than all did she de- 
sire that the coming of the Messiah might be in her 
day, that she might be the servant to that happy 
Virgin who merited to be his mother. Thus the reve- 
lations made to St. Bridget.* 

Ah, for love of this exalted ehild the Redeemer 
hastened his coming into the world, for whilst she 
through her humility did not esteem herself worthy of 
being the servant of the divine mother, she was her- 
* L. 2, et< 1. 3, o. 8, 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


405 


self chosen for this mother, and by the odor of her 
virtues and her powerful prayers, she drew into her 
virginal womb the divine Son. Hence was Mary 
called the turtle by her divine spouse : The voice of 
the turtle is heard in our land: “Vox turturis audita 
est in terra nostra.”* * * § Not only because she, like the 
turtle, always loved solitude, living in this world as in 
a desert, but also because, like the turtle who makes 
the fields mournful with its sad note, Mary was al- 
ways mourning in the temple over the miseries of the 
lost world, and asking from God, the Redeemer of the 
world. Oh, with how much greater affection and 
fervor than the prophets did she repeat to God in the 
temple their supplications and sighs, that he might 
send the Redeemer ! “ Send forth, oh Lord, the Lamb, 
the ruler of the earth.f Drop down dew, ye heavens, 
from above, and let the clouds rain the just.J “ Oh, 
that thou wouldst rend the heavens and wouldst come 
down.”§ 

In a word, it was an object of delight to God to 
see this young Virgin always ascending to a higher 
perfection, like a pillar of smoke, rich in the odors of all 
virtues, as the Holy Spirit exactly describes her in the 
sacred Canticles : “ Who is she that goeth up by the 
desert, as a pillar of smoke of aromatical spices, of 
myrrh, and frankincense, and of all the powders of 

* Vox turturis audita est in terra nostra. Cant. ii. 12. 

t Emitte agnum, Domine, dominatorem terrae. Isa. xvi. 1. 

% Rorate cceli desuper, et nubes pluant justum. Id. xlv. 8. 

§ Utinam dirumperes coeios, et descenderes. Id. lxiv. 1. 


406 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


the perfumer?”* * * § This holy child, says Sophronius, 
was in truth the garden of delights of the Lord, for 
he found there flowers of every kind, and all the odors 
of the virtues.f This St. John Chrysostom affirms, 
that God chose Mary for his mother on earth, because 
he found not on the earth a more perfect and more 
holy Virgin than Mary, neither a place more worthy 
for him to dwell in than her sacred womb ;J as St. 
Bernard also says : On the earth there was no more 
worthy place than the womb of the Virgin. § St. An- 
toninus asserts that the blessed Virgin, in order to be 
elected and predestined to the dignity of mother of 
God, must have possessed a perfection so great and 
consummate, that it should surpass the perfection -of 
all other creatures. || 

As then the holy young child Mary, presented 
and offered herself in the temple promptly and en- 
tirely, so let us, at this day, without delay and without 
reserve, present ourselves to Mary, and entreat her to 
offer us to God, who will not refuse us when he sees 
us offered by the hand of her who was the living 
temple of the Holy Spirit, the delight of her Lord, 

* Quae est ista quoe ascendit per desertum sicut virgula fumi 
ex aromatibus myrrlioe, ettkuris et universi pulveris pigmentarii. 
Cant. iii. 6. 

t Vere virgo erat hortus deliciarum in quo consita sunt uni- 
vcrsa florum genera, et odoramenta virtutum. Serm. de Ass. 

X Ap. Canis. 1. 1, de B. V. c. 13. 

§ Nee in terris locus dignior utero virginali. 

1 Ultima gratia perfectionis est prceparatio ad Filium Dei 
concipiendum. P. 4, tit. 15, c. 6. 


GLOKIES OF MART. 


407 


and the chosen mother of the Eternal Word. And 
let us place a great hope in this exalted and most 
gracious Lady, who rewards with so much love the 
devotions that are offered to her by her servants, as 
may be seen by the following example. 

EXAMPLE. 

We read in the life of Sister Domenica of Paradise, 
written by Father Ignatius of Niente, a Dominican, 
that in a village called Paradise, near Florence, this 
little girl was born of poor parents. From her in- 
fancy she practised devotion to the divine mother. 
She fasted every day of the week in her honor, and 
on Saturday she distributed to the poor the food oj 
which she had deprived herself ; and every Saturday 
she went into the garden, or into the neighboring 
fields, and there gathered all the flowers she could 
find, and placed them before .a statue of the holy 
Virgin with the infant Jesus in her arms, which she 
had in her house. But let us see now with what 
favors our most grateful Lady compensated this her 
servant, for the homage she paid her. As she stood 
one Sunday at the window, when she was about ten 
years of age, she saw in the street a woman with a 
beautiful countenance, accompanied by a little child, 
and they both extended their hands as if to ask alms. 
She went for some bread, and, behold, before she 
could open the door, they stood beside her, and she 
saw wounds on the hands, feet, and breast of the 
child. Then she said to the woman : “ Who has 


408 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


wounded this child?” “ It was love/’ answered the 
mother. Domenica, charmed by his beauty and mod- 
esty, asked him if his wounds pained him ; but he 
only answered with a smile. As they were standing 
near the images of Jesus and of Mary, the mother 
said to Domenica : “ Tell me, little girl, what makes 
you crown these images with flowers ?” She answered : 
“ The love I have for Jesus and Mary makes me do 
it.” “ And how much do you love them?” “ I love 
them as much as I can.” “ And how much can you 
love them ?” “ As much as they will help me.” 

“ Continue, then,” said the mother, “ continue to love 
them, for they will richly return your love in paradise.” 

Then the little girl perceived a celestial odor com- 
ing forth from those wounds, and she asked the mother 
with what ointment she had anointed them, and if that 
ointment could be purchased ? “ It is purchased,” 

answered she, “with faith and works.” Domenica 
then offered them the bread. The mother said : “ The 
food of this my Son is love ; tell him that you love 
Jesus and he will be satisfied.” The child at mention 
of this word love, began to show great signs of joy, 
and turning to the little girl, he asked her how much 
she loved Jesus. She answered that she loved him so 
much, that day and night she was always thinking of 
him, and desired nothing else but to please him as 
much as she could. “ Well,” answered he, “ love him ; 
and love will teach you what you must do to satisfy 
him.” The odor then increasing which came from 
those wounds, Domenica exclaimed : “ Oh God, this 


GLORIES OF MART. 


409 


odor makes me die of love ; if the odor of a child is 
so sweet, what must be the odors of paradise ?” But 
behold the scene was changed ; the mother appeared 
robed as a queen, and surrounded with light, and the 
child resplendent as a sun of beauty. He took those 
flowers and strewed them on her head. She at once 
saw that these persons were Jesus and Mary, and 
prostrated • herself in adoration before them. And 
thus ended the vision. Domenica afterwards took the 
Dominican habit, and died in the year 1553, with the 
reputation of a saint. 

PRAYER. 

Oh beloved of God ! most amiable child Mary ! oh, 
that like thee, who didst present thyself in the temple, 
and at once and wholly didst consecrate thyself to 
the glory and love of thy God, I might offer to thee 
to-day the first years of my life, and dedicate myself 
entirely to thy service, oh my most holy and sweet 
Lady I But it is now too late, for, unhappily, I have 
lost so many years in serving the world and my ca- 
prices, as it were entirely forgetful of thee and of God. 
Alas for the time in which I did not love thee !'* But 
it is better to commence late than not at all. Behold, 
oh Mary, to-day I present myself to thee, and offer 
myself entirely to thy service, for the longer or shorter 
time that remains for me to live on the earth ; and 
with thee I renounce all creatures, and dedicate my- 

* Vaa tempori illi, in quo non amavi te. 

35 


410 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


self entirely to the love of my Creator. I consecrate 
to thee, then, oh queen, my mind, that I may always 
think of the love that thou dost merit, my tongue to 
praise thee, and my heart to love thee. Accept, oh 
most holy Virgin, the offering which the most miser- 
able sinner presents to thee ; accept it, I pray thee, 
for the sake of that consolation which filled thy heart 
when in the temple thou gavest thyself to God. And 
if late I begin to serve thee, it is right that I should 
make good the time lost by redoubling my devotion 
and my love. Aid my weakness, oh mother of mercy, 
with thy powerful intercession, and obtain for me 
perseverance and strength to be faithful to thee until 
death; that always serving thee in this life, I may 
come to praise thee eternally in paradise. 


DISCOURSE IV. 

ON THE ANNUNCIATION OF MARY. . 


Mary could not humble herself more than she did in the 
incarnation of the Word. On the other hand, God could 
not exalt her more than he has exalted her. 

“ Whosoever shall exalt himself shall be humbled, 
and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted.”* 

* Qui autem se exaltaverit, humiliabitur ; et qui se huinili- 
averit, exaltabitur. Matt, xxiii. 12. 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


411 


These are the words of our Lord, and cannot fail. 
Therefore, God having determined to make himself 
man, in order to redeem lost man, and thus manifest 
to the world his infinite goodness, being about to choose 
on earth his mother, sought among women the holiest 
and most humble. Among them all he saw one, the 
youthful virgin Mary, who, as she was the most per- 
fect in all virtues, so was she the most simple ; and 
humble as a dove in her own esteem. “ There are 
young maidens without number ; one is my dove, my 
perfect one.”* Let this one, then, said God, be my 
chosen mother. Let us, then, see how humble Mary 
was, and how God exalted her. Mary could not hum- 
ble herself more than she did in the incarnation of the 
Word ; this will be the first point. That God could 
not exalt Mary more than he exalted her, will be the 
second. 

First Point . — Our Lord in the holy Canticles, speak- 
ing precisely of the humility of this most humble 
Virgin, said : “ While the king was at his repose, my 
spikenard sent forth the odor thereof. ”f St. Antoni- 
nus, commenting on these words, says that the spike- 
nard, inasmuch as it is a small and lowly plant, was 
a type of the humility of Mary, whose odor ascended 
to heaven, and drew, even from the bosom of the eter- 
nal Father, into her virginal womb the divine Word. 

* Adolescentularum non est numerus. Una est columba 
mea, perfccta mea. Cant. vi. 7, 8. 

t Dum esset Rex in accubitu suo, nardus mea dedit odorem 
suum. Cant. i. 11. 


412 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


The spikenard is a small herb, and signifies the blessed 
Virgin, who exhaled the odor of humility ; which odor 
ascended even to heaven, and in heaven as it were 
awakened him who was in his repose, and brought 
him to rest in her womb.* Thus the Lord, drawn 
by the odor of this humble Virgin, chose her for his 
mother, when he wished to become man to redeem 
the world. But he, for the greater glory and merit 
of this hie mother, would not make himself her Son 
without first obtaining her consent. He would not 
take flesh from her without her consent.f Therefore, 
when the humble young Virgin was in her poor dwell- 
ing, sighing and praying to God more earnestly than 
ever that he would send the Redeemer, as was re- 
vealed to St. Elizabeth, a Benedictine nun, behold the 
Archangel Gabriel came, bearing the great embassy. 
He enters and salutes her, saying : “ Hail, full of grace, 
the Lord is with thee ; blessed art thou among women. 
Hail, oh Virgin, full of grace, for thou wast always 
rich in grace above all the other saints. The Lord is 
with thee because thou art so humble. Thou art 
blessed among women, for all others have incurred the 
curse of original sin ; but thou, because thou art to 

* Nardus est herba parva, et significat B. Yirginem, quae de- 
dit humilitatis odorem ; qui odor usque ad ccelum aseendit, et 
in coelo accumbentem fecit quasi evigilare, et in utero suo quies- 
cere. P. 4, tit. 15, c. 21, s. 2. 

t Noluit carnem sumere ex ipsa, non dante ipsa. In Cant. 

8 . 

X Ave gratia plena ; Dominus tecum ; benedicta tu in muli- 
eribus. Luc. i. 28. 


GLOKIES OF MAEY. 


413 


be the mother of the Blessed One, hast been and wilt 
always be blessed, and free from every stain. 

But what does the humble Mary answer to this 
salutation so full of praises ? She answered nothing, 
but she was disturbed thinking on such a salutation : 
“ And when she had heard, she was troubled at his 
saying, and thought with herself what manner of 
salutation this should be.”* And why was she dis- 
turbed ? through fear of illusion, or through modesty 
at the sight of a man, as some suppose, remembering 
that the angel appeared to her in human form ? No, 
the text is plain; she was troubled at his saying, 
“ turbata est in sermone ejus,” as Eusebius Emissenus 
remarks : Not by his appearance, but by his speech : 
“Non in vultu, sed in sermone ejus.” Such a dis- 
turbance was then wholly owing to her humility at 
hearing those praises, so far beyond her humble es- 
teem of herself. Hence the more she is exalted by 
the angel, the more she humbles herself, and the 
more she considers her nothingness. St. Bernardine 
remarks : If the angel had said that she was the 
greatest sinner in the world, Mary would not have 
been thus surprised ; but in hearing those exalted 
praises she was greatly disturbed. f She was troubled 
because, being so full of humility, she abhorred every 

* Quae cum audisset, turbata est in sermone ejus, et cogitabat 
qualis esset ista salutatio. 

+ Si dixisset, oh Maria, tu es major ribalda quae est in mundo, 
non ita admirata fuisset ; unde turbata fuit de tantis laudibus. 
Serm. 35, de Am. Inc. p. 3. 


35 * 


414 


GLORIES OJF MARY. 


praise, and desired that none but her Creator, the 
giver of every good, should be praised and blessed. 
Mary said exactly this to St. Bridget, speaking of the 
time when she became mother of God. “ I disliked 
my own praise, and only wished to hear that of the 
giver and Creator.”* 

But I would remark, that the blessed Virgin had 
already well learned from the Holy Scriptures that 
the time foretold by the prophets for the coming of 
the Messiah had arrived; that the weeks of Daniel 
were now completed ; that already, according to the 
prophecy of Jacob, the sceptre of Judah had passed 
into the hands of Herod, a strange king, and she well 
knew that a virgin was to be the mother of the Mes- 
siah ; and she hears those praises offered by the angel to 
herself, which seemed to belong only to the mother of 
God ; did it then come into her mind that perhaps 
she herself might be that chosen mother of God? 
No, her profound humility did not permit this thought. 
These praises had no other effect than to cause her 
great fear ; so that, as St. Peter Chrysologus re- 
marks : As Christ wished to be consoled by an angel, 
so must the Virgin be encouraged by an angel.f As 
the Saviour willed to be comforted by an angel, so it 
was necessary that St. Gabriel, seeing Mary so full of 
fear at that salutation, should encourage her, saying : 

* Nolui laudem meam, sed solius Datoris et Creatoris. L. 1, 
Rev, c. 23. 

+ Sieut Christus per angelum voluit confortari, ita per angelum 
debuit Virgo animari. 


GLORIES OF MART. 


415 


“ Fear not. Mary, for thou hast found grace with 
God.”* * * § Do not fear, oh Mary, nor be surprised by 
the great titles by which I have saluted thee, for if 
thou art so little and humble in thine own eyes, God, 
who exalts the humble, has made thee worthy to find 
the grace lost by man; and therefore has he pre- 
served thee from the common stain of all the children 
of Adam ; therefore, even from the moment of thy 
conception he has adorned thee with a greater grace 
than that of all the saints ; and therefore, finally, he 
now exalts thee to be his mother : “ Behold, thou shalt 
conceive and shalt bring forth a son, and thou shalt 
call his name Jesus. ”f 

Now why this delay ? The angel, oh Lady, awaits 
thy answer, as St. Bernard says : We rather await it 
who are condemned to death. + Behold, oh our 
mother, continues St. Bernard, to thee is now offered 
the price of our salvation, which will be the divine 
Word in thee made man ; if thou wilt accept him for 
a son, we shall be immediately delivered from death ; 
behold the price of our salvation is offered to thee; 
immediately we are liberated if thou dost consent.§ 
Thy Lord himself, as he is greatly enamored of thy 

* Ne timeas, Maria, invenisti gratiam apud Deum. Luc. i. 30. 

f Ecce concipies, et paries filium, et vocabis nomen ejus Je- 
sum. Luc. i. 31. 

X Expectat angelus responsum, expectamus et nos, oh Domi- 
na, verbum miserationis, quos miserabiliter premit sententia 
damnationis. Horn. 4, Sup. Miss. 

§ Ecce offertur tibi pretium salutis nostras ; statim liberabi- 
mur, si consentis. Loc. cit. 


416 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


beauty, so much the more desires thy consent, on 
which he has made the salvation of the world de- 
pend.* Answer quickly, oh Lady, adds St. Augus- 
tine, delay no longer the salvation of the world, which 
now depends on thy consent.f 

But, behold, Mary already answers; she answers 
the angel, and says: “Behold the handmaid of the 
Lord, be it done unto me according to thy word.”J 
Oh, what more beautiful, more humble, and more pru- 
dent answer could all the wisdom of men and of 
angels united have invented, if they had thought of 
it for millions of years ! Oh powerful answer, which 
gave joy in heaven, and poured upon the earth a vast 
flood of graces and blessings ! Answer, that hardly 
came forth from the humble heart of Mary before it 
drew from the bosom of the eternal Father, the only 
begotten Son, to become man in her most pure womb ! 
yes, for hardly had she uttered these words : Behold the 
handmaid of the Lord ; be it done to me according to 
thy word ; when immediately the Word was made flesh : 
“ Verbum caro factum est;” the Son of God became 
also the Son of Mary. Oh powerful Fiat ! exclaims St. 
Thomas of Villanova ; oh efficacious Fiat ! oh Fiat to 


* Ipse quoque Dominus, quantum concupivit decorem tuum, 
tantum desiderat et responsionis assensum, in qua nimirum 
proposuit salvare mundum. Horn. 4, Sup. Miss. 

t Responde jam Virgo sacra, vitam quid tricas mundo? 
Serm. 21, de Temp. 

% Ecce ancilla Domini, fiat mihi secundum verbum tuum. 
Luc. i. 38. 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


417 


be reverenced above every fiat !* for by another fiat 
God created the light, the heaven, and the earth ; but 
by this fiat of Mary, says the saint, God became man 
like us. 

But let us not wander from our point, let us con- 
sider the great humility of the Virgin in this answer. 
She was indeed well enlightened to understand how 
great was the dignity of the mother of God. She 
already had been assured by the angel that she was 
this happy mother chosen by the Lord. But with all 
this she is not at all raised in her own esteem, stops 
not at all to enjoy her exaltation, but considering on 
one side her own nothingness, and on the other the 
infinite majesty of her God, who chose her for his 
mother, she knows how unworthy she is of such an 
honor, but would by no means oppose herself to his 
will. Hence, when her consent was asked, what does 
she do ? what does she say ? .Wholly annihilated as 
to self ; all inflamed, on the other hand, with the de- 
sire of uniting herself thus more closely to God, by 
entirely abandoning herself to the divine will : Behold, 
she answers, behold the handmaid of the Lord : “ Ecce 
ancilla Domini.” Behold the slave of the Lord; 
obliged to do whatever her Lord commands. And 
she intended to say : If the Lord chooses me for his 
mother, who have nothing of my own ; if all that I 
have is his gift, who could think that he selects me 
for any merit of my own ? Behold the handmaid of 

* 0 Fiat potens ! 0 Fiat efficax ! 0 Fiat super omni fiat vene- 
randum ! Cone. 3, de Ann. 


418 


GLORIES OF MAET. 


the Lord. What merit can a slave have, to be made 
the mother of her Lord ? Behold the handmaid of the 
Lord. Let the goodness of God alone be praised, 
and not the slave ; since it is wholly his goodness 
which has led him to place his eye on a creature so 
lowly as I, and make her so great. 

Oh humility, exclaims here Guerric the Abbot; 
small in its own eyes, great in the eyes of God ! In- 
sufficient to itself, sufficient to him whom the whole 
world cannot contain !* But still more beautiful on 
this occasion is the exclamation of St. Bernard, which 
he makes in the fourth sermon on the Assumption of 
Mary, in which, admiring the humility of Mary, he 
says • Oh Lady, how have you been able to unite in 
yo'ur heart such an humble ^esteem of yourself with so 
much purity, so much innocence, and with such ful- 
ness of gracef as thou dost possess ! And whence, oh 
blessed Virgin, did this humility, this so great hu- 
mility, take such deep root in thee, when thou wast so 
honored and exalted by God Lucifer, seeing him- 
self endowed with great beauty, aspired to exalt his 
throne above the stars, and make himself like to God.§ 
Now what would not that proud spirit have said and 
attempted if he had seen himself adorned with the 

* 0 liumilitas, angusta sibi, ampla Divinitati I Insufficiens 
sibi, sufficiens oi quem non capit orbis ! 

+ Quanta humilitatis virtus, cum tanta puritate, cum innocen- 
tia tanta, imo cum tanta gratia plenitudine ? 

X Unde tibi liumilitas, et tanta liumilitas 0 Eeata? 

§ Super astra Dei exaltabo solium meum, et similis ero ultis- 
Bimo. Isa. xiv. 13. 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


419 


privileges of Mary ? Not so the humble Mary ; the 
more she saw herself exalted, the more she humbled 
herself. Ah Lady, for this beautiful humility, con- 
cludes St. Bernard, thou hast indeed merited to be 
regarded by God with peculiar love, to charm thy 
King with thy beauty ; to draw him with the sweet 
odor of thy humility from his repose in the bosom of 
God, into thy most pure womb.* * * § Hence St. Ber- 
nardine de Bustis says, that Mary merited more by 
that answer : “ Behold the handmaid of the Lord,” 
than all creatures could merit by their works.f 

Thus, says St. Bernard, this innocent Virgin, al- 
though by her virginity she rendered herself dear to 
God, yet by humility afterwards rendered herself 
worthy, as much as a creature can render itself wor- 
thy, to be made the mother of her Creator. Although 
she pleased by her virginity, by her humility she con- 
ceived : “ Etsi placuit ex virginitate, tamen ex humili- 
tate concepit.”| And St. Jerome confirms this by 
saying, that God chose her for his mother more for 
her humility, than for all her other sublime virtues.§ 
Mary herself expressed this to St. Bridget, by saying 

* Digna plane quam respiceret Dominus, cujus decorem con- 
cupisceret Rex, cujus odore suavissimo ab seterno illo Paterni 
sinus attraheretur accubitu. 

f Beata Virgo plus meruit, dicendo bumiliter: Ecce an cilia 
Domini, quam simul mereri possent omnes purse creaturse. Mar. 
12, p. 5, p. 2. 

% Horn. 1, Sup. Miss. 

§ Maluit Deus de Virgine incarnari propter humilitatem, quam 
propter aliam quamcumque virtutem. 


420 GLORIES OF MART. 

to her : How did I merit such a grace to be made the 
mother of my Lord, if not because I knew my noth- 
ingness, and humiliated myself?* * * § And this she de- 
clared before in her Canticle, so full of the deepest 
humility, when she said : “ Because he hath regarded 
the humility of his handmaid ... He that is mighty 
hath done great things to me.”f Upon* which words 
St. Lawrence Justinian remarks, that the blessed Vir- 
gin does not say, he regarded my virginity, my inno- 
cence, but only my humility. J And by this humility, 
as St. Francis de Sales remarks, Mary did not intend 
to praise the virtue of her humility, but wished to 
proclaim that God had regarded her nothingness, hu- 
mility, that is, nothingness : “ Humilitatem, id est ni- 
hilitatem,” and through his pure goodness had willed 
thus to exalt her. 

In a word, St. Augustine says that the humility of 
Mary was like a ladder, by which our Lord deigned 
to descend upon earth to become man in her womb.§ 
And St. Antoninus confirms this by saying that the 
humility of the Virgin was her most perfect and the 
next preparation to become the mother of God.|| 

* Unde promerui tantam gratiam, nisi quia cogitavi et scivi 
nihil a me esse vel habere ? L. 2, Rev. c. 35. 

t Quia respexit humilitatem ancillae suae fecit mihi 

magna qui potens est. Luc. i. 48, 49. 

X Non ait, respexit virginitatem, innocentiam ; seu humilita- 
tem tantum. 

§ Facta est Marise humilitas scala ccelestis, per quam Deus 
descendit ad terras. Sup. Magn. 

11 Ultima gratia perfectionis est praeparatio ad Filium Dei con- 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


421 


And by this is explained what Isaias predicted : “And 
there shall come forth a rod out of the root of Jesse, 
and a flower shall rise up out of his root.* The 
blessed Albertus Magnus remarks, that the divine 
flower, namely, the only-begotten of God, according 
to Isaias, would come forth, not from the top or the 
trunk of the tree of Jesse, but from its root, which 
precisely denotes the humility of the mother. \ And 
this is more clearly explained by the Abbot of Celles. 
Observe, says he, that not from the top, but from the 
root the flower is to spring up.J And therefore our 
Lord said to this his beloved daughter : “ Turn away 
thy eyes from me, for they have made me flee away.”§ 
And from whence flee, unless from the bosom of the 
Father to the womb of Mary?|| as St. Augustine 
says. Upon which the learned interpreter Fernandez 
observes, that the most humble eyes of Mary, with 
which she always contemplated the divine greatness, 
never losing sight of her nothingness, did such violence 
to God himself that they drew him into her bosom. 
And by this we are to understand, says Francone the 

cipiendum ; quae praeparatio fait per profundam humilitatem. 
p. 5, tit. 15, c. 6, et 8. 

* Efredietur virga de radice Jesse, et flos de radice ejus as- 
cendet. Isa. xi. 1. 

t De radice ejus, humilitas cordis intelligitur. 

X Nota, quod non ex summitate, sed de radice ascendet flos. 

§ Averte oculos tuos, quia ipsi me avolare fecerunt. Cant. vi. 4. 

|| Unde avolare, nisi a sinu Patris in uterum matris ? 

Ita illius oculi humillimi Deum tenuerunt, ut suavisshna 
quadam violentia ipsummet Dei Patris Verburn in uterum suum 
Virgo attraxerit. In c. 14, Gen. sect. 1. 

36 


422 GLORIES OF MARY. 

Abbot, wby the Holy Spirit so much praised the 
beauty of this his spouse for her eyes, which were 
like those of a dove : “ How beautiful art thou, my 
love ! how beautiful art thou ! thy eyes are like doves’ 
eyes because Mary, looking on God with the eyes 
of a simple, humble dove, he was so much enamored 
of her beauty, that with the bands of love she made 
him a prisoner in her virginal womb ; these are the 
words of the abbot : In what place on the earth could 
so beautiful a virgin be found, who could allure the 
King of heaven by her eyes, and by a holy violence 
lead him captive, bound in the chains of charity ?f 
We will conclude this point by remarking that Mary, 
in the incarnation of the Word, as we have seen from 
the beginning, could not have humiliated herself more 
than she did. Let us now see how God could exalt 
her no higher than he did by making her his mother. 

Point Second . — In order to comprehend the great- 
ness to which Mary was elevated, it would be neces- 
sary to comprehend the sublime majesty and gran- 
deur of God. It is sufficient, then, only to say, that 
God made this Virgin his mother, to have it under- 
stood that God could not exalt her more than he did 

♦ 

exalt her. Rightly did St. Arnold Carnotensis affirm, 
that God, by making himself the Son of the Virgin, 


* Quam pulchra es, arnica mea, quam pulclira es ! oculi tui 
columbarum. Cant. iv. 1. 

t Ubinam terrarum tam speciosa virgo inveniri posset, quae 
Regem eoelorum oculis caperet, et vinculis charitatis pia violen- 
tia captivum traberet. De Grat. Nov. Test. tr. 6. 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


423 


established her in a superior rank to all the saints and 
angels: “Maria constituta est super omnem Creatu- 
ram.”* So that, next to God, she is incomparably 
higher than the celestial spirits, as St. Ephrem asserts : 
“ Nulla comparatione cseteris superis est gloriosior.”f 
St. Andrew of Crete confirms this, saying : God except- 
ed, she is the highest of all : “ Excepto Deo, omnibus 
est altior.”| And St. Anselm also says : Oh Lady, there 
is none equal to thee, because every other is above 01 
beneath thee ; God alone is superior to thee, and all 
others are inferior. § So great, in a word, says St. 
Bernardine, is the exaltation of this Virgin, that God 
alone is able to comprehend it.|| 

This removes the surprise expressed by some per- 
sons, remarks St. Thomas of Villanova, that the holy 
Evangelists, who have so fully recorded the praises of 
a Baptist and a Magdalene, have been so brief in their 
descriptions of the privileges of Mary ; for, says the 
saint, it was enough to say of her, that from her Jesus 
was born.^f What more would you wish the Evangel- 
ists to say, continues the saint, of the grandeur of this 
Virgin ? let it be enough for you, that they attest her 
to be the mother of God. Having recorded in these 

* Tract, de L. V. t Or. de Laud. Deip. 

X Or. de Dorm. Deip. 

§ Nihil tibi, Domina, est aequalis ; ornne enim quod est, aut 
supra te est, aut infra ; quod supra, solus Deus ; quod infra, est 
omne quod Deus non est. Ap. Pelb. Stellar. 1, p. 3, a. 2. 

|| Tanta est perfectio Virginis ut soli Deo cognoscenda reserve- 
tur. To. 2, Serm. 51, a. c. 3, 2. 

If Satis fuit de ea dicere ; de qua natus est Jesus. 


424 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


few words the greatest, and, indeed, the whole of her 
merits, it was not necessary for them to describe each 
separately.* * * § And why not ? because, as St. Anselm 
answers : To say of Mary this alone, that she was the 
mother of a God, transcends every glory that can be 
attributed to her, in thought or word, after God.f 
Peter of Celles adds, remarking on this same thought : 
By whatever name you may wish to call her, whether 
queen of heaven, ruler of the angels, or any other title 
of honor, you will never succeed in honoring her so 
much as by calling her only the mother of God.J 
The reason of this is evident, for as the angelic Doctor 
teaches : The nearer a thing approaches its author, the 
greater the perfection it receives from him ; therefore, 
Mary being the creature nearest to God, she has par- 
taken more than all others of his grace, perfection, and 
greatness.§ To this Father Suarez traces the cause 


* Quid ultra requiris ? Sufficit tibi quod mater Dei est. Ubi 
ergo to turn erat, pars scribenda non fuit. Cone. 2, de Nat. 
Virg. 

f Hoc solum de S. Virgine predicari, quod Dei mater sit, ex- 
cedit omnem altitudinem, quae post Deum diei vel cogitari po- 
test. De. Exc. Virg. c. 4. 

% Si coeli Reginam, si angelorum Dominam, vel quodlibet 
aliud protuleris, non assurges ad hunc honorem, quo praedicatur 
Dei genitrix. L. de Pan. c. 31. 

§ Quanto aliquid magis appropinquat principio in quolibet 
genere tanto magis participat effectuni illius principii. Beata 
autem virgo Maria propinquissima Christo fuit secundum hu- 
manitatem ; quia ex ea aecepit humanam naturam ; et ideo prae 
cseteris majoremdebuit a Christo gratise plenitudinem obtinere. 
3 p. q. 27, a. 5. 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


425 


why the dignity of mother of God is of an or- 
der superior to any other created dignity; because 
it appertains, in a certain manner, to the order of 
union with a divine person, with which union it is ne- 
cessarily connected.* * * § Hence St. Denis the Carthu- 
sian asserts, that after the hypostatic union, there is 
none more intimate than the union of the mother of 
God with her Son.f This, as St. Thomas teaches, is 
the highest union that a pure creature can have with 
God.J And the blessed Albertus Magnus affirms, 
that to be mother of God is a dignity next to that of 
being God ;§ therefore he says, that Mary could not 
be more united to God than she was, without becom- 
ing God.|| 

St. Bernardine affirms, that in order to become 
mother of God, it was requisite that the holy Virgin 
should be exalted to a certain equality with the divine 
Persons, by a certain infinity df graces.^ And as 

* Dignitas matris est alterioris ordinis, pertinet enim quo- 
dammodo ad ordinem unionis hypostatic® ; ilium enim intrin- 
sece respicit, et cum ilia necessariam conjunctionem habqt. 
To. 2, in. 3, p. d. 2, s. 2. 

f Post hypostaticam conjunctionem non est alia tam vicina, 
ut unio matris Dei cum filio suo. L. 2, de Laud. Y. 

X. Est suprema quaedam conjunctio cum persona infinita. 1, p. 
q. 25, a. 6. 

§ Immediate post esse Deum, est esse matrem Dei. Super 
Miss. c. 180. 

| Magis Deo conjungi, nisi fieret Deus, non potuit. 

Tf Quod fcemina conciperet et pareret Deum oportuifr earn ele- 
vari ad quamdam aequalitatem divinam, per quamdam infinita- 
tcm gratiarum. To. 1, Serm. 61, c. 16. 

36* 


426 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


children are esteemed morally one with their parents, 
so that their possessions and honors are in common, 
therefore St. Peter Damian says, that if God dwells in 
creatures in different modes, he dwelt in Mary in a 
singular mode of fitness, making himself one with her.* 
And he exclaims in these celebrated words : Here 
let every creature be silent and tremble, and scarcely 
dare to behold the immensity of so great a dignity. 
God dwells in a virgin with whom he has the identity 
of one nature. f 

St. Thomas asserts, that Mary, being made mother 
of God, by reason of this close union with an in- 
finite good, received a certain infinite dignity, which 
Father Suarez calls infinite of its kind.}; The dignity 
of mother of God is the highest dignity which can be 
conferred on a pure creature. The angelic Doctor 
teaches, that the humanity of Jesus Christ, though it 
might have received greater habitual grace from God, 
yet, as to the union with a divine Person, could not 
receive greater perfection ; so, on the other hand, the 
blessed Virgin could receive no greater dignity than 
to be the mother of God. For as habitual grace (this 
is his reasoning) is a created gift, we must acknowl- 

* Quarto modo inest Deus creaturae, scilicet Marise Yirgini, 
per identitatem, quia idem est quam ilia. Serm. 1, de Nat. 
Virg. 

f Hie taceat et contrcmiscat omnis creatura, et vix audeat as- 
picere tantae dignitatis immensitatem. Habitat Deus in Yirgine, 
cum qua unius naturae habet identitatem. Loc. cit. 

X Dignitas matris Dei suo genere est infinita. To. 2, in 8, 
p. d. 18, 1. 4. 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


427 


edge that its essence is finite. The capacity of every 
creature is limited in measure, which however pre- 
vents not the divine power from being able to form 
another creature of greater capacity.* Though the 
divine power may create something greater and better 
than the habitual grace of Christ, yet it could not des- 
tine it to any thing greater than was the personal 
union of the only begotten Son with the Father.f The 
blessed Virgin, because she is mother of God, has a 
certain infinite dignity from the infinite good, which 
is God ; and in this respect nothing greater can be 
created. J St. Thomas of Villanova says the same 
thing : Certainly there is something infinite in being 
the mother of the Infinite One.§ And St. Bernardine 
says, that the state to which God exalted Mary as his 
mother was the highest, so that he could exalt her 
no higher. || And this is 'confirmed by Albertus 

* Cum enim gratia habitualis sit donum creatum, confiteri 
oportet quod habeat essentiam finitam. Est eujuslibet creatu- 
re determinata capacitatis mensura, quae tamen divine potestati 
non prejudicat, quin possit aliam creaturam majoris capacitatis 
facere. Opusc. 2, Comp. Theol. c. 215. 

+ Virtus divina, licet possit facere aliquid majus et melius 
quam sit habitualis gratia Christi, non tamen posset facere quod 
ordinaretur ad aliquid majus quam sit unio personalis ad filium 
unigenitum a patre. 3 p. q. 7, a. 12, ad 2. 

X B. Virgo ex hoc quod est mater Dei, habet quamdam digni- 
tatem infinitam, exbono iniinito quod est Deus. Et ex bac parte 
non potest fieri melius. 1, p. q. 25, a. 6, ad 4. 

§ Utique habet quandam infinitatem esse matrem infiniti. 
Cone. 3, de Nat. Mar. 

| Status maternitatis Dei erat summus status, qui pure crea- 
ture dari posset. To. 3, Serm. 6, a. 3, c. 1. 


428 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


Magnus. The Lord conferred on the blessed Virgin 
the highest gift which any pure creature was capable 
of receiving, namely, the maternity of God.* 

Therefore St. Bonaventure wrote that celebrated 
sentence, that God could make a greater world, a 
greater heaven, but could not exalt a creature to 
greater excellence than by making her his mother.]- 
But better than all others has the divine mother her- 
self described the height to which God had elevated 
her when she said : He that is mighty hath done great 
things tome: “Fecit mihi magna qui potens est.’ , J 
And why has the holy Virgin never made known 
what were the great favors conferred upon her by 
God? St. Thomas of Villanova answers, that Mary 
did not explain them, because they were so great that 
they could not be explained. § 

St. Bernard therefore, w T ith reason, says that God has 
created all the world for this Virgin, who was to be 
his mother : “ Propter hanc totus mundus factus est.”|| 
And St. Bonaventure says that the preservation of the 

* Dominus B. Virgin! summum donavit, cujus capax fuit pura 
creatura, scilicet Dei maternitatem. L. 1, de Laud. Virg. c. 
178. 

t Esse matrem Dei est gratia maxima purse creaturse conferi- 
bilis. Ipsa est quam majorem facere non potest Deus, majus 
coelum, majorem quam matrem Dei facere non potest. Spec. B. 
V. Lect. 10. 

X Luc. i. 49. 

§ Non explicat qusenam hsec magna fuerint, quia inexplica- 
bilia.' Cone. 3, de Nat. Virg. 

1 Propter hanc totus mundus factus est. Serin. 7, in Salv. 
Eeg. 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


429 


world is at the disposal of Mary.* * * § The saint in this 
place adheres to the words of Proverbs, applied by 
the Church to Mary: I was with him forming all 
things : “ Cum eo eram cuncta componens.”f St. 
Bernardine adds, that God, for love of Mary, did not 
destroy man after the sin of Adam.J Hence the 
Church, with reason, sings of Mary : She has chosen 
the best part : “ Optimam partem elegit.”§ For this 
virgin mother not only chose the best things, but she 
chose the best part of the best things; the Lord 
bestowing upon her, in the highest degree, as the 
blessed Albertus Magnus attests, all the graces, and 
the general and particular gifts conferred on all other 
creatures, wholly in consequence of the dignity granted 
her of becoming mother of God.|| Thus Mary was 
an infant, but of this state she had only the innocence, 
but not the defect of incapacity, for from the first 
moment of life she always had the perfect use of 
reason. She was a virgin, but without the reproach 
of sterility. She was a mother, but with the privilege 
of virginity. She was beautiful, even most beautiful, 
as Richard of St. Victor asserts, and also St. George 

* Dispositione tua, Virgo sanctissima, perseverat inundus, 
quem et tu cum Deo ab initio fundasti. Ap. P. Pep. Lect. 371. 

t Prov. viii. 80. 

X Propter singularissimam dilectionem ad hanc Virginem 
praeservavit. To. 1, Serm. 61, c. 8. 

§ In Off. Ass. B. V. 

3 Beatissima Virgo gratia fuit plena, quia omnes gratias gene- 
rales et speciales omnium creaturarum in summo habuit. Bibl. 
Ma. in Luc. 13. 


430 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


of Nicomedia, and St. Dionysius the Areopagite, who, 
as many believe, once had the happiness of enjoying 
the sight of her beauty, and said that if faith had not 
taught him that she was a creature, he should have 
adored her as God. And the Lord himself revealed 
to St. Bridget, that the beauty of his mother surpassed 
the beauty of all men and angels, allowing the saint 
to hear him say to Mary : “ Thy beauty exceeds 
that of all the angels, and of all creatures.”* She 
was most beautiful, I repeat, but without injury to 
those who looked upon her, for her beauty put to 
flight impure emotions, and suggested even pure 
thoughts, as St. Ambrose attests So great grace had 
she, that she not only preserved her own virginity, 
but also conferred a remarkable gift of purity on those 
who beheld her.f And St. Thomas confirms this: 
The grace of sanctification not only repressed in the 
Virgin illicit emotions, but also had efficacy for others ; 
so that although she was beautiful in person, she never 
excited impure desires.^ Therefore she was called 
myrrh, which prevents corruption : I yielded a sweet 
odor like the best myrrh : “ Quasi mirrha electa dedi 

* Omnes angelos et omnia quce crea.ta sunt excessit pulcliri- 
tudo tua. L. 1, Rev. c. 51. 

+ Tanta erat sua gratia ut non solum in se virginitatem ser- 
varet, sed etiam si quos inviseret, integritatis donum insigne 
conferret. De Inst. Yirg. c. 7. 

X Gratia sanctificationis non sojum repressit in Virgine motus 
illicitos, sed etiam in aliis efficaciam habuit; ita ut quamvis 
esset pulchra corpore a nullo concupisceretur. In 3 Dist. disp. 
2, q. 2, a. 2. 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


431 


suavitatem odoris as the holy Church applies it. She 
was occupied in active life, but labor did not interrupt 
her union with God. In the contemplative life she 
was recollected in God, but without neglect of the 
temporal life and of the charity due to the neighbor. 
Death came upon her, but without its suffering, and 
without the corruption of the body. 

To conclude then : this divine mother is infinitely 
inferior to God, But immensely superior to all crea- 
tures ; and if it is impossible to find a Son more noble 
than Jesus, it is also impossible to find a mother more 
noble than Mary. This should cause the servants of 
such a queen not only to rejoice in her greatness, but also 
to increase their confidence in her most powerful pro- 
tection ; for, being mother of God, says Father Suarez, 
she has a certain right to his gifts, to obtain them for 
those for whom she prays.* St. Germanus, on the 
other hand, says that God cannot but hear the prayers 
of this mother, for he cannot but recognize her for 
his true and immaculate mother. Thus says the saint, 
addressing the Virgin : But thou, who dost prevail 
with God by a maternal authority, even for those who 
grievously sin, thou dost obtain the great grace of 
reconciliation ; for thou canst not but be graciously 
heard, as God in all things conforms to thy wishes as 
to those of a true and pure mother.f Therefore, oh 

* Unde fit, ut singulare jus habeat ad dona filii sui. To. 2, in 
3 p. d. 1, s. 2. 

f Tu autem quae materna in Deum auctoritato polles, etiam 
iis qui enormiter peccant eximiam reconciliationis gratiam con- 


432 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


mother of God, and our mother, in thee is not want- 
ing the power to help us. The will, too, is not want- 
ing. Nec facultas, nec voluntas illi deesse potest.* 
For thou knowest, I will say with thy servant the 
Abbot of Celles, that God has not created thee for 
himself alone, but has given thee to the' angels for 
their restorer, to men for their deliverer, and to the 
demons for their conqueror, for by thy means we re- 
cover divine grace, and by thee the enemy is con- 
quered and crushed.-}- 

And if we wish to please the divine mother, let us 
often salute her by saying the “ Hail Mary.” One 
day Mary appeared to St. Matilda, and told her that 
no one could honor her better than by this salutation ; 
and we shall certainly obtain through it, peculiar gra- 
ces from this mother of mercy, as will be seen by the 
following example. 

EXAMPLE. 

A well-known incident is related by Father Paul 
Segneri in his “ Christian Instructed.”]; A Roman 
youth, of evil habits and laden with sins, went to con- 


cilias. Non enim potes non exaudiri, cum Dens tibi ut verse ac 
intemeratse matri suae in omnibus morem gerat. De Zona 
Yirg. 

* Serm. de Ass. 

t Non tantum sibi te fecit, sed te angelis dedit in instaura- 
tionem, bominibus in reparationem, dsemonibus in hostem ; 
nam per te Deus homini pacificatur, diabolus vincitur et con- 
teritur. Y. in Prol. Cont. Virg. 

X P. 3, Reg. 84. 


GLORIES OF MART. 433 

fession to Father Niccolas Zucchi. The confessor 
received him kindly, compassionated his misery, and 
told him that devotion to the blessed Lady would free 
him from his accursed vices. He therefore imposed 
it upon him as a penance, that until the time of his 
next confession, every morning and evening, on rising 
and going to bed, he should recite a “ Hail Mary” to 
the Virgin ; making an offering to her of his eyes, 
hands, and his whole body, praying her to keep him 
as her own ; and that he should kiss the ground three 
times. The young man practised this penance, and 
at first -with very little improvement ; hut the father 
continued to exhort him never to give it up, encour- 
aging him to trust in the patronage of Mary. In the 
mean time, the penitent left home with some other 
companions, and travelled over the world. Having 
returned to Rome, he went again to seek his confessor, 
who to his great joy and surprise, found him entirely 
changed, and free from his former impurities. “ My 
son,” he said, “how have you obtained from God so* 
happy a change ?” “ Father,” answered the youth, 

“the blessed Virgin, for that little devotion which you 
taught me, has obtained for me this grace.” But the 
wonder did not cease here. The same confessor rela- 
ted this fact from the pulpit. An officer, who, for 
several years, had kept up an illicit intercourse with a 
certain woman, heard it, and proposed also himself to 
practise the same devotion, in order to free himself 
from that horrible tie which held him a slave of the 
devil (which intention is necessary for all such sin- 
37 


434 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


ners, that the Virgin may aid them) ; and he also 
quitted his had practices and changed his life. 

But what followed ? At the end of six months, 
foolishly and too confidently trusting in his strength, 
he wished, one day, to go and find that woman, to see 
if she had also changed her way of life. But on ap- 
proaching the door of her house, where he was in 
manifest danger of falling again into sin, he felt him- 
self thrust back by an invisible force, and soon found 
himself distant from the house the whole length of the 
street, and before his own door ; he was then en- 
lightened to see clearly that Mary had thus rescued 
him from his destruction. Thus we perceive how 
solicitous is our good mother, not only to save us from 
fSin, if we for that end commend ourselves to her, but 
also to protect us from the danger of falling into it 
again. 

PRAYER. 

Oh immaculate and holy Virgin ! oh creature the 
most humble and the greatest before God ! thou wast 
so small in thy own eyes, but so great in the eyes of 
thy Lord, that he exalted thee even to choose thee for 
his mother, and therefore to make thee queen of 
heaven and of earth. I then thank that God who 
hath so much exalted thee, and rejoice with thee in 
seeing thee so closely united to God, that more is not 
permitted to a pure creature. I am ashamed to ap- 
pear before thee who art so humble, with so many 
graces ; I, a miserable sinner, and so proud with so 


GLORIES OF MART. 


435 


many sins. But wretched as I am, I, too, wish to 
salute thee : Hail Mary, full of grace : “ Ave Maria, 
gratia plena.” Thou art already full of grace ; obtain 
a share of it also for me. The Lord is with thee : 

“ Dominus tecum.” That Lord who hath ever been with 
thee even from the first moment of thy creation, is now 
more intimately with thee, by making himself thy Son. 
Blessed art thou among women : “ Benedicta tu in mu- 
lieribus.” Oh woman, blessed among all women, ob- 
tain for us also the divine benediction. Oh blessed 
plant which hath given to the world a fruit so noble 
and so holy: “Et benedictus fructus ventris tui.” 
Holy Mary, mother of God : “ Sancta Maria, mater 
Dei.” Oh Mary, I confess that thou art the true 
mother of God, and for this truth I would give my« 
life a thousand times. Pray for us sinners : “ Ora pro 
nobis peccatoribus.” But if thou art the mother of 
God, thou art also the mother of our salvation, and 
of us poor sinners ; since it is to save sinners that God 
made himself man ; and he has made thee his mother 
that thy prayers may have the power to save every sin- 
ner. Pray for us, oh Mary. Now and in the hour of 
our death : “ Nunc et in hora mortis nostrae.” Pray 
always ; pray now, while we are in life, in the midst of 
so many temptations and so great danger of losing God; 
but still more, pray in the hour of our death, when we 
are on the point of leaving this world and being pre- 
sented at the divine tribunal ; that being saved by the 
merits of Jesus Christ, and by thy intercession, we may 
one day come, without the danger of losing thee any 


436 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


more, to salute thee and praise thee, with thy Son, in 
heaven, for all eternity. Amen. 


DISCOURSE 7. 

ON THE VISITATION OF MART. 


Mary is the treasurer of all the divine graces. Therefore he 
who desires graces should have recourse to Mary ; and he 
who has recourse to Mary, should be secure of obtaining the 
graces he wishes. 

Happy is that house esteemed which is visited by 
®some royal personage, both for the honor it receives 
from him, and the advantages it hopes for ; but more 
happy should that soul be called which is visited by 
the queen of the world, most holy Mary, who cannot 
but fill with mercies and graces those blessed souls 
whom she deigns to visit with her favors. The house 
of Obededom was blessed when it was visited by the 
ark of the Lord : The Lord blessed his house : “ Be- 
nedixit Dominus domui ejus.”* But with how much 
greater blessings are those persons enriched who re- 
ceive some loving visit from this living ark of God, as 
was the divine mother ! Happy that house which the 
mother of God visits, f wrote Engelgrave. This was ex- 
perienced by the house of the Baptist, wherein scarcely 


* 1 Par. 


t Felix ilia domus quam mater Dei visitat. 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


437 


had Mary entered, when she filled all that family with 
celestial graces and benedictions ; and for this reason, 
the present feast of the Visitation is commonly called 
the feast of our Lady of graces. We shall consider 
to-day, in the present discourse, how the divine mother 
is the treasurer of all graces. We shall divide the 
discourse into two points. In the first, we shall prove 
that he who desires graces must have recourse to 
Mary. In the second, that he who has recourse to 
Maiy, should be certain of obtaining the graces that 
he desires. 

Point First . — After the holy Virgin had heard 
from the archangel St. Gabriel, that her cousin Eliza- 
beth had been six months pregnant, she was interiorly 
enlightened by the Holy Spirit to know that the Word 
which had taken human flesh and had already become 
her Son, wished to commence manifesting to the world 
the riches of his mercy, by the first graces that he de- 
sired to impart to all that family. Therefore, without 
interposing any delay, as St. Luke relates : Rising up, 
Mary went into the mountainous country in haste: 
“Exurgens abiit in montana cum festinatione.”* 
Rising then from the quiet of her contemplation, to> 
which she was always devoted, and leaving her dear 
solitude, she immediately set out for the house of 
Elizabeth. And because holy charity suffers all things : 
“ Charitas omnia suffert and can bear no delay, as 
St. Ambrose remarks, when treating of this gospel : The 
grace of the Holy Spirit knows no slow movements : 

* i. 39. 

37* 


438 


GLORIES OF MART. 


“Hescit tarda molimina Spiritus Sancti gratia:” 
therefore not heeding the fatigue of the journey, the 
tender and delicate maiden quickly set forth on her 
way. Having arrived at that house, she saluted her 
cousin: “She entered into the house of Zachary, 
and saluted Elizabeth.”* And, as St. Ambrose re- 
marks, Mary was the first to salute Elizabeth : “ Prior 
salutavit.” But the visit of the blessed Virgin was 
not like the visits of the worldly, which, for the most 
part, consist in ceremonies and false display ; the visit 
of Mary brought into that house an abundance of 
graces. For at her first entrance, and at that first 
salutation, Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit, 
and John was delivered from guilt and sanctified, and 
therefore gave that sign of joy, exulting in the womb of 
his mother ; for he wished in this way to make known 
the grace received by means of the blessed Virgin ; 
as Elizabeth herself declared :“As soon as the voice 
of thy salutation sounded in my ears, the infant in my 
womb leaped for joy”.f So, as Bernardine de Bustis 
observes, in virtue of the salutation of Mary, John 
received the grace of the Divine Spirit, who sancti- 
fied him : When the blessed Virgin saluted Elizabeth, 
the voice of the salutation entering through her ears, 
descended to the child, by virtue of which salutation 
he received the Holy Spirit.J 

* Et intravit in domurn Zacharise, et salutavit Elisabeth. 

t Et- facta est vox salutationis tuse in auribus meis, exultavit 
in gaudio infans in utero meo. 

X Cum B. Virgo salutavit Elisabeth, vox salutationis per aures 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


439 


Now if these first-fruits of the redemption all passed 
through Mary, and she was the channel by means 
of which grace was communicated to the Baptist, 
the Holy Spirit to Elizabeth, the gift of prophecy 
to Zachary, and so many other blessings to that 
house, which were the first graces that we know to 
have been given upon earth by the Word, after he 
had become incarnate ; we have great reason to be- 
lieve that God, even from that time, had constituted 
Mary a universal channel, as St. Bernard calls her, 
through which thenceforth should be dispensed to us 
all the other graces which the Lord wishes to bestow 
on us, as it was said in p. 1, c. 5, of this work. 

Rightly then is this divine mother called the treas- 
ure, the treasurer, and the dispensatrix of divine graces. 
Thus she is called by the venerable Abbot of Celles: 
The treasure of the Lord and the treasurer of graces : 
“ Thesaurus Domini, et thesauraria gratiarum.”* By 
St. Peter Damian, also : The treasure of divine graces : 
“Thesaurus divinarum gratiarum.” By blessed Al- 
bertus Magnus : The treasurer of Jesus Christ : “The- 
sauraria Jesu Christi.” By St. Bernardine : The dis- 
pensatrix of graces : “ Dispensatrix gratiarum.” By 
a Greek Doctor, quoted by Petavius :f The store- 
house of all good things : “ Promptuarium omnium 
bonarum.” Thus, also, St. Gregory Thaumaturgus 
says : Mary is called so full of grace, because in her 

ejus ingrediens ad puerum descendit, virtute cujus salutationis 
puer Spiritum Sanctum accepit. Part 7, Serm. 4. 

* Prol. Cont. Virg. c. 1. f Be Trin. 


440 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


the treasure of grace was hidden.'* * * § And Richard of 
St. Laurence says that God has placed in Mary, as in 
a treasury of mercy, the gifts of all the graces, and 
from this treasure he enriches his servants, f 

St. Bonaventure, speaking of the field oQthe Gospel 
where the treasure is hidden which should be bought at 
any great price, as Jesus Christ hath said : “ The king- 
dom of heaven is like unto a treasure hidden in a field, 
which, when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy 
thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth 
that field remarks that this field is our Queen Mary, 
in whom is the treasure of God, that is, Jesus Christ, 
and with Jesus Christ the source and fountain of all 
graces.§ St. Bernard also affirms that the Lord has 
placed in the hands of Mary all the graces that he 
wishes to dispense to us, that we may know that 
whatever of good we receive, we receive it all from 
her hands. || And of this Mary herself assures us, 

* Maria sic gratia plena dicitur, quod in ilia gratise thesaurus 
reconderetur. 

t Maria est thesaurus quia in ea, ut in gazophylacio, reposuit 
Dominus omnia dona gratiarum ; et de hoc thesauro largitur 
ipse larga stipendia suis militibus et operariis. De Laud. Virg. 
1. 4. 

X Simile est regnum coelorum thesauro abscondito in agro, 
quem qui invenit homo, vadit et vendit universa quse habet, 
et emit agrum ilium. Matth. xiii. 14. 

§ Ager iste est Maria, in qua thesaurus Dei Patris abscondi- 
tus est. Spec. c. 7. 

1 Totius boni plenitudinem posuit in Maria, ut proinde si 
quid spei in nobis est, si quid gratiae, si quid salutis, ab ea no- 
verimus redundare. Serm. de Aquced. 


GLORIES OF MART. 


441 


■when she says : In me is all grace of the way and of 
the truth: “In me gratia omnis vice et veritatis.”* * * § 
In me are all the graces of true blessings that you 
men can desire in your life. Yes, our mother and 
our hope, well do we know, to use the words of St. 
Peter Damian, that all the treasures of the divine 
mercies are in thy hands.f And before Damian, St. 
Ildephonsus asserted it with more force, for ad- 
dressing the Virgin he said to her : Oh Lady, all the 
graces which God has determined to bestow upon 
men, he has determined to dispense by thy hands ; 
and therefore has he committed to thee all the treas- 
ure of graces. J; Hence, oh Mary, concluded St. Ger- 
manus, no grace is dispensed to any one except by thy 
hands ; no one is saved except by thee ; no one re- 
ceives the gift of God except through thee.§ The 
blessed Albertus Magnus makes a beautiful reflection 
upon the words of the angel to the most holy Virgin : 
“Fear not, Mary, for thou hast found grace with 
God, ”|| saying : Oh, Mary, thou hast not stolen grace 
as Lucifer wished to steal it ; thou hast not lost it as 
Adam lost it ; thou hast not bought it as Simon the 


* Ecoli. xxiv. 25. 

t In manibus tuis omnes thesauri miserationum Dei. 

X Omnia bona quae illis summa majestas decrevit facere, tuis 
manibus decrevit commendare ; commissi quippe tibi sunt the- 
sauri et ornamenta gratiarum. In Cor. Virg. cap. 15. 

§ Nemo qui salvus fiet, nisi per te ; nemo donum Dei suscipit, 
nisi per te. Serm. de Zona Virg. 

|| Ne timeas, Maria invenisti enim gratiam apud Deum. 
Luc. i. 30. 


442 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


Magician wished to buy it ; but thou hast found it be- 
cause thou hast desired and sought it. Thou hast 
found the uncreated grace, that is, God himself, be- 
come thy Son ; and at the same time thou hast found 
and obtained all created good.* St. Peter Chrysolo- 
gus confirms this thought, by saying that the great 
mother found this grace by restoring salvation to all 
men.f And elsewhere he says, that Mary found 
grace in its fulness, sufficient to save all men.J In 
like manner as God made the sun, says Richard of 
St. Laurence, that by it the earth may be illuminated, 
so hath he created Mary, that by her means all divine 
mercies may be dispensed to the world. § And St. 
Bernardine adds that the Virgin, as soon as she 
was made mother of the Redeemer, acquired, as it 
were, a jurisdiction over all graces : when the Vir- 
gin Mary conceived the Word of God in her womb, 
she obtained, as I should say, a certain jurisdiction 
over all the temporal manifestations of the Holy 
Spirit ; so that no creature obtained any grace from 

* Ne timeas, quia invenisti. Non rapuisti, ut primus ange- 
lus ; non perdidisti, ut primus parens ; non emisti ut Simon 
Magus; sed invenisti, quia qusesivisti. Invenisti gratiam in- 
creatam et in ilia omnem creaturam. In Marial. c. 237. 

t Ilanc gratiam accepit Virgo salutem sseculis redditura. 
Serm. 3, de Ann. 

X Invenisti gratiam, quantam ? quantam superius dixerat, 
plenam et vere plenam, quse largo irnbre totam funderet, et in- 
funderet creaturam. Serm. 142. 

§ Sicut sol factus est, ut illuminat totum mundum ; sic Maria 
facta est, ut misericordiam impetret toti mundo. De Laud. 
Virg. lib. 7. 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


443 


God, unless according to the disposal of this pious 
mother.* 

Let us conclude this point in the words of Richard 
of St. Laurence, who says, that if we wish to obtain 
any grace, we must have recourse to Mary, who can- 
not but obtain for her servants whatever she demands ; 
since she has found, and always will find, divine grace. f 
And this he took from St. Bernard, who said : Let 
us seek grace, and let us seek it through Mary, for 
what she seeks she finds, and cannot be frustrated. J 
If, then, we desire graces, we must go to this treas- 
urer and dispensatrix of graces ; for this is the sov- 
ereign will of the Giver of every good, as St. Bernard 
himself assures us, that all graces are dispensed by 
the hand of Mary.§ All, all : Totum, totum ; he who 
says all, excludes nothing. But, because confidence 
is necessary in order to obtain grace, we now will pass 
on to consider how certain we should be of obtaining 
graces, if we have recourse to Mary. 

Second Point . — And why should Jesus Christ ever 

* A tempore quo Virgo mater concepit in utero verbura Dei, 
quandam ut sic dicam, jurisdictionem obtinuit in ornni Spiritus 
Sancti processione temporali; ita ut nulla creatura aliqiiam a 
Deo obtinuit gratiam, nisi secundum ipsius pise matris dispen- 
sationem. Serm. 61, Tract. 1, Art. 8. 

t Cupientes invenire gratiam, quaeramus inventricem gratise, 
quae quia semper invenit, frustrari non potest. De Laud. Virg. 
1. 2, p. 5. 

\ Quaeramus gratiam, et per Mariam quaeramus ; quia quod 
quaerit, invenit, et frustrari non potest. Serm. de Aquaod. 

§ Quia sic est voluntas ejus, qui totum nos habere voluit per 
Mariam. Loc. cifc. 


444 GLORIES OF MARY. 

have placed in the hands of this his mother all the 
riches of the mercies which he wishes to use for our 
benefit, if not that she may enrich with them all her 
servants who love and honor her, and with confidence 
recur to her ? With me are riches .... that I may 
enrich them that love me : “ Mecum sunt divitise .... 
ufc ditem diligentes me.”* Thus the Virgin herself 
speaks in this passage, which the holy Church applies 
to her on so many of her festivals. Therefore, for no 
other use, but for our benefit, says Adam the Abbot, 
are the riches of eternal life preserved by Mary, in 
whose bosom the Saviour has deposited the treasure 
of the wretched, that, supplied from this treasure, the 
poor may become rich.f And St. Bernard adds, as 
I learn from another author, that for this purpose 
Mary has been given to the world, for a channel of 
mercy, that by her means graces may continually de- 
scend from heaven upon men.}; 

From this the holy Father goes on to ask, why St. 
Gabriel, having found the divine mother already full 
of grace, according to his salutation: Hail, full of 
grace : “ Ave gratia plena afterwards says that the 
Holy Spirit was to come to her, to fill her still more 
with grace ; if she was already full of this grace, 

* Prov. viii. 18, 21. 

+ Divitise salutis penes Virginem nostris usibus reservantur. 
Christus in Virginis utero pauperum gazophylacium collocavit ; 
in do pauperes locupletati sunt. In All eg. utr. Test. c. 24, 
Eccli. 

X Ad hoc enim data est ipsa mundo quasi aquseductus, ut per 
ipsam a Deo ad homines dona coelestia jugiter descenderent. 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


445 


what more could the coming of the Holy Spirit effect ? 
Mary was already full of grace, thus answers St. Ber- 
nard, but the Holy Spirit came upon her for our good, 
that from her superabundance we poor sinners might 
be provided.* For this reason Mary was called the 
moon, of which it is said : The moon is full, for her- 
self and others : “ Luna plena sibi, et aliis.” 

“ He that shall find me, shall find life, and shall 
have salvation from the Lord.”f Blessed is he who 
having recourse to me finds me, says our mother. He 
will find life, and will find it easily ; for, as it is easy 
to find and draw water (as much as one wishes) from 
a great fountain, so it is easy to find graces and eter- 
nal salvation by going to Mary. A holy soul hath 
said, we have only to ask graces of our Lady and we 
shall have them. And St. Bernard says, that before 
Mary was born, the world was without this abundance 
of graces, that now are overflowing the earth, because 
this desirable channel (Mary) was wanting. J But now 
that we actually have this mother of mercy, what 
graces can we not obtain, if we cast ourselves at her 
feet? I am the city of refuge, thus St. John of 
Damascus makes her to say, for all those who have 

* Ad quid nisi, ut, adveniente jam Spiritu plena sibi, eodem 
superveniente, nobis quoque superplena et supereffluens fiat? 
Serm. 2, de Ass. 

+ Qui me invenerit, inveniet vitam, et hauriet salutem a 
Domino. Prov..viii. 35. 

X Propterea tanto tempore humano generi fiuenta gratiso de- 
fuerunt, quod necdum intercederet is tam desiderabilis aquu)- 
ductus. Serm. de Aqused. 


38 


446 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


recourse to me: come, then, my children, and you 
will obtain from me graces, in greater abundance than 
you can imagine.* 

It is true that many experience what the venerable 
Sister Maria Villani saw in a heavenly vision. This 
servant of God once saw the mother of God, in the 
likeness of a great fountain, to which many went to 
draw the waters of graces ; but what then happened ? 
Those who carried vessels which were whole, preserved 
afterwards the graces received ; but those who carry 
broken vessels, that is, souls laden with sins, received 
the graces, but quickly lost them again. As for 
the rest, it is certain that by means of Mary, men, 
even the most ungrateful and wretched sinners, daily 
obtain innumerable graces. St. Augustine says, ad- 
dressing the Virgin: Through thee the wretched ob- 
tain mercy, the ungrateful grace, sinners pardon, the 
weak support, the earthly heavenly things, mortals life, 
and travellers their country.f 

Let our confidence, then, ever revive, oh devoted 
servants of Mary, as often as we have recourse to her 
for graces. And to revive this confidence, let us ever 
remember the two great privileges which this good 
mother possesses, namely : the desire she has to do us 

* Ego civitas refugii iis, qui ad me confugiunt ; accedite, et 
gratiarum dona affluentissimc haurite. Serna. 2, de Dorm. 
B. Y. 

f Per te haereditamus misericordiam miseri, ingrati gratiam, 
veniam peccatores, sublimia infirmi, coelestia terreni, mortalqs 
vitana, et patriam peregrini. Serm. de Ass. B. V. 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


447 


good, and the power she has with her Son to obtain 
whatever she asks. That we may know the desire 
Mary has to aid all, it would be sufficient only to con- 
sider the mystery of the present festival, namely, the 
visit of Mary to Elizabeth. The journey from Naza- 
reth, where the most holy Virgin lived, to the city of 
Hebron (called by St. Luke a city of Judah), where, 
according to Baronius and other authors, Elizabeth 
dwelt, was about sixty-nine miles, as the author of the 
Life of Mary, Father Giuseppe of Jesus, one of the bare- 
footed Carmelites, asserts,* as also Bede and Brocardo. 
But this did not prevent the blessed Virgin, tender 
and delicate as she then was, and not accustomed to 
such efforts, from immediately setting forth — moved by 
what ? — moved by that great charity with which her 
most tender heart was ever filled, to go and commence 
from that time her great office of dispenser of graces. 
Precisely thus does St. Ambrose speak of this her 
journey : She did not go as if incredulous of the an- 
nouncement, but happy in her desire, hastening for 
joy, and intent upon her office. f Not that Mary, as 
the saint says, went to inform herself of the truth of 
what the angel had told her concerning Elizabeth, but 
joyful through her desire to help that household, hast- 
ening for the joy she felt to do good to others, and 
wholly intent on that charitable errand. Rising up, 
she went with haste : “ Exurgens abiit cum festina- 

* L. 3, c. 12. 

t Non abiit quasi incredula de oraculo, sed quasi laeta pro 
voto, festina prse gaudio, religiosa pro officio. In c. 1, Luc. 


448 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


tione.” Here let it be observed that the Evangelist, 
when he spoke of Mary going to the house of Eliza- 
beth, said that she went in haste : Abiit festinatione ; 
but speaking of her return from that house, he makes 
no more mention of haste, but simply says : “ And 
Mary abode with her about three months, and she re- 
turned to her -own house.”* * * § What other object, then, 
says St. Bonaventure, caused the mother of God to 
hasten when going to visit the house of the Baptist, 
except the desire to do good to that family ?f 

Certainly, since the assumption of Mary into heaven, 
this her affection of charity towards men has not 
ceased ; nay, it has ever been increasing, for there 
she better knows our necessities, and feels more pity 
for our miseries. Bernardine de Bustis writes, that 
Mary more earnestly desires to do us good than we 
desire to receive it from her.]; To such a degree, that 
St. Bonaventure says, she considers herself injured by 
those who do not ask favors of her ;§ for this is the 
desire of Mary, to enrich all with her graces ; for, in- 
deed, according to the assertion of the Idiot, she 
superabundantly enriches her servants. || 

* Mansit autem Maria cum ilia quasi mensibus tribus; et 
reversa est in domum suarn. Luc. i. 56. 

f Quid earn ad officium charitatis festinare cogebat, nisi cha- 
ritas quse in corde fervebat ? Spec. c. 54. 

X Plus vult ilia bonum tibi facere, et largiri gratiam. quam tu 
accipere concupiscas. Mar. p. 1, Serm. 5. 

§ In te, Domina, peccant non solum qui tibi injuriam irrogant, 
sed etiam qui te non rogant. In Spec. Virg. 

1 Maria thesaurus Domini est, et thesauraria gratiarum ipsius. 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


449 


Hence the same author says, that he who finds 
Mary finds every good : “ Inventa Maria, invenitur 
omne bonum.” And he adds, that every one can find 
her, were he even the most abandoned sinner in the 
world ; for she is so gracious that she sends away 
none who have recourse to her.* I invite all to come 
to me, thus Thomas a Kempis makes her say, I wait 
for all, I wish that all may come ; neither do I ever 
despise any sinner who comes to seek my help, how- 
ever unworthy he may be.f All who go to her asking 
favors, says Richard, will find her always ready, 
always inclined to succor them, and obtain for them 
every grace of eternal salvation by her powerful pray- 
ers : “ Inveniet semper paratam auxiliari.” 

I have said by her powerful prayers, for this is the 
other reflection which should increase our confidence, 
namely, knowing that she obtains from God whatever 
she asks in favor of her servants. Observe especially, 
says St. Bonaventure, in this visit that Mary made to 
Elizabeth, the great virtue of the words of Mary ; for at 
the sound of her voice the grace of the Holy Spirit was 
given to Elizabeth as well as to her son, as the Evan- 
gelist has written : “ And it came to pass that when 
Elizabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the infant 

Donis specialibus ditat copiosissime servientes sibi. In Frol. 
Cant. B. V. c. 1. 

* Tanta est ejus benignitas, quod nulli formidandum est ad 
earn accidere. Tantaque misericordia, quod ab ea nemo repel- 
litur. 

t Omnes invito, omnes expecto, omnes desidero, nullum pec- 
catorem despicio. 


38 * 


450 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the 
Holy Ghost.”* On which St. Bona venture remarks : 
Behold, how great is the virtue of the words of our 
Lady, for at the sound of them the Holy Spirit is 
given.f Theophilus of Alexandria says that Jesus is 
much pleased when Mary prays to him for us, for 
then all the graces which he bestows on us through 
the supplications of Mary, he does not consider to be 
conferred on us, but rather on Mary herself. | And 
let these words be noted : Persuaded by the prayers 
of his mother, he gives : “ Precibus suae genitricis 
evictus, donat.” Yes, because Jesus, as St. Germanus 
attests, cannot but graciously hear Mary in all her pe- 
titions, wishing in this, as it were, to obey her as his 
true mother ; hence the saint says, that the prayers of 
this mother have a certain authority with Jesus Christ, 
so that she obtains pardon even for the greatest sin- 
ners, who commend themselves to her.§ 

And this is indeed confirmed, as St. John Chry- 
sostom observes, by what took place at the nuptials of 

* Et factum est, ut audivit salutationem Marias Elisabeth, ex- 
ultavit infans in utero ejus ; et repleta est Spiritu Sancto Elisa- 
beth. Luc. i. 41. 

t Vide quanta virtus sit verbis Dominae, quia ad eorum pro- 
nuntiationem confertur Spiritus Sanctus. Tract, de Vit. Christ. 

X Gaudet filius, orante matre, quia omnia quae nobis precibus 
suae genetricis evictus donat, ipsi matri se donasse putat. Ap. 
Baldi Giard. di Mar. nella Pref. 

§ Tu autem materna in Deum auctoritate pollens, etiam iis, 
qui enormiter peccant, eximiam remissionis gratiam concilias. 
Non enim potes non exaudiri, cum Dens tibi ut verae et interne- 
rat® matri in omnibus morem gerat. Or. de Dorm. V. 


451 


GLORIES OF MA* * * § EY. 

Cana, where Mary, asking of her Son the wine that 
was wanting, said : “ They have no wine Jesus an- 
swered : “Woman, what is that to me and to thee? 
my hour is not yet come.”* But although the time 
for miracles had not yet arrived, as Chrysostom and 
Theophilactus explain ; yet, says the same Chrysos- 
tom, our Saviour, in order to obey his mother, per- 
formed the miracle she requested, and converted the 
water into wine.f 

“ Let us go therefore,” thus the apostle exhorts us, 
“ with confidence to the throne of grace ; that we may 
obtain mercy, and find grace in seasonable aid.”]; 
The throne of grace is the blessed Virgin Mary, says 
the blessed Albertus Magnus : “ Thronus gratiee est 
beata Virgo Maria.”§ If, then, we wish for graces, let 
us go to the throne of grace, which is Mary ; and let 
us go with the hope of being certainly heard ; for we 
have the intercession of Mary, who obtains whatever 
she asks of. her Son. Let us ask for grace, I repeat 
with St. Bernard, and through Mary let us ask: 
“ Quaeramus gratiam et per Mariam quaeramus,” trust- 
ing to what the Virgin mother said to St. Matilda, 
that the Holy Spirit, filling her with all his sweetness, 


* Vinum non habent .... Quid mihi et tibi est mulier? non- 
dum venit hora mea. Jo. ii. 3, 4. 

f Et licet ita respondent, maternis tamen votis obtemperavit. 
S. Jo. Chrys. Horn. 21, in Joan. 

X Adeamus ergo cum fidueia ad tbronum gratise, ut miseri- 
cordiam consequamur, et gratiam inveniamus in auxilio oppor- 
tune. Hebr. iv. 16. 

§ Serm. de Ded. Eccl. 


i 


452 


GLcfRIES OF MARY. 


had rendered her so dear to God that every one who, 
through her intercession, asked for graces, would cer- 
tainly obtain them.* 

And if we give credit to that celebrated saying of 
St. Anselm : We shall sometimes find grace sooner by 
having recourse to Mary, than by having recourse to 
our Saviour Jesus himself ;f not that he is not the 
source and Lord of all graces, but because if we go 
to Mary, and she intercedes for us, her prayers will 
have more power, as the prayers of a mother, than 
ours. Let us never then leave the feet of this treas- 
urer of graces, but say to her with St. John Dama- 
scene : Open to us, oh blessed mother of God, the 
door of thy mercy, for thou art the salvation of the 
human race.J Oh mother of God, open to us the 
door of thy mercy, by praying always for us ; for thy 
prayers are the salvation of all men. And when we 
have recourse to Mary, it would be best to ask her to 
pray for us, and obtain for us those graces, which she 
knows are most expedient for our salvation ; which is 
precisely what Brother Reginald, a Dominican, did, as 
is related in the chronicles of the order.§ This ser-' 
vant of Mary was infirm, and asked of her the grace 

* Spiritus Sanctus tota sua dulcedine me penetrando, tam 
gratiosam effecit, ut omnis qui per me gratiam quaerit, ipsam 
inveniat. Ap. Canis. 1. 1, c. 13. 

t Yelocior est nonnunquam salus nostra, invocato nomine 
Marise, quam invocato nomine Jesu. De Exc. Virg. c. 6. 

X Misericordice januam aperi nobis, benedicta Deipara tu 
enim es salus generis humani. 

% L. 1, p. 1, c. 5. 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


453 


of bodily health. Our Lady appeared to him, accom- 
panied by St. Cecilia and St. Catherine, and said to 
him with the greatest sweetness : “ My son, what shall 
I do for thee ?” The religious at this kind offer of 
Mary was troubled, and knew not what to answer. 
Then one of those saints gave him this counsel : “ Re- 
ginald, do you know what you should do ? Do not 
ask for any thing, place every thing at her disposal, 
because Mary knows how to obtain for thee a grace 
greater than you could ask.” The sick brother fol- 
lowed her advice, and the divine mother obtained for 
him the grace of health. 

But if we also desire the happy visits of this queen 
of heaven, it will greatly aid us if we often visit her 
before some image, or in some church dedicated to her. 
Let us read the following example, and learn with 
what special favors she rewards the devout visits of 
her servants. 


EXAMPLE. 

It is related in the Franciscan chronicles, that two 
religious of that order, who were going to visit a sane- . 
tuary of the Virgin, were overtaken by night in a great 
wood ; where they became bewildered and so troubled 
that they knew not what to do. But advancing a 
little, they discerned through the darkness something 
which seemed to them a house. They went groping 
along with outstretched hands, and at length touched 
a wall ; they found the door, knocked, and heard some 
one within asking who they were ? They answered 


454 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


that they were two poor religious who had lost their 
way by accident in that wood, and were seeking a 
shelter, that at least they might not be devoured by 
wolves. But suddenly they heard the door open, and 
saw two pages richly dressed, who received them with 
great courtesy. The religious asked them who inhab- 
ited that palace ? The pages answered that a very 
kind, good Lady inhabited it. We wish to pay our 
respects to her, said they, and thank her for her 
charity. We will take you to her, said the pages, for 
she too wishes to speak to you. They ascended the 
stairs found the apartments all illuminated, richly 
furnished, and perfumed as with an odor of paradise ; 
they finally entered the apartment of the Lady, who 
was majestic and most lovely in her appearance, and 
who welcomed them with the greatest kindness, and 
then asked them in what direction they were travel- 
ling ? They answered that they were going to visit a 
certain church of the blessed Virgin. If that is the 
case, said the Lady, when you go I will give you a 
letter from myself, which will greatly aid you. And 
t whilst the Lady was speaking to them, they felt all 
inflamed with love of God, and filled with a joy such 
as they had never before experienced. They after- 
wards went to rest, if perchance they could sleep in 
the midst of so much joy, and in the morning they 
went again to take leave of the Lady of the mansion, 
thank her, and at the same time receive the letter : 
they did so and departed. But when they had gone 
a little distance from the house, they perceived that 


GLORIES OF MARY. 455 

there was no superscription to the letter ; but they 
turned and returned, and could not find the house 
again. At last they opened the letter, to see to whom 
it was sent, and what it contained, and found that 
it was from the most holy Mary, and was written 
to themselves, and let them know that she was the 
Lady whom they saw the night before, and that on 
account of the devotion they cherished for her, she 
had provided a house and refreshment for them in that 
wood. She exhorted them to continue to serve and 
love her, for she would well reward their devotion, 
and assist them in life and in death. At the bottom 
of the letter they read the signature of the Virgin 
Mary. We may easily imagine the thanks that those 
good religious offered to the divine mother, and how 
greatly they were inflamed with the desire of loving 
her and serving her to the end of their lives. . 

PRAYER. 

Immaculate and blessed Virgin, since thou art the 
universal dispenser of all divine graces, therefore thou 
art the hope of all, and also my hope. I always 
thank my Lord that he hath given me to know thee, 
and the means that I must use to obtain graces and 
save myself. Thou art this means, oh great mother 
of God, for I now understand that it is principally 
through the merits of Jesus Christ, and after those, 
through thy intercession, that I am to be saved. Ah, 
my queen, thou didst make so great haste to visit, 
and sanctify with thy visit, the house of Elizabeth ; 


456 GLORIES OF MART. 

ah, visit, and visit quickly, the poor house of my soul. 
Ah, hasten ! thou knowest better than I how poor it 
is, how infected with many maladies, with irregular 
affections, bad habits, and actual sin, all those fatal 
diseases which will bring it to eternal death. Thou 
canst enrich it, oh treasurer of God ! and thou canst 
heal all its infirmities. Visit me then in life, and 
visit me especially at the hour of my death, for then 
thy help will be more necessary to me. I do not, 
indeed expect, neither am I worthy that thou shouldst 
visit me on this earth with thy visible presence, as thou 
hast done to so many of thy servants, but servants 
not so unworthy and ungrateful as I am. I will be 
content to be allowed then to see thee in thy king- 
dom of heaven, there to love thee better, and thank 
thee for whatever good thou hast done me. At 
present I will be content that thou shouldst visit me 
Tvith thy mercies. It is enough that thou dost pray 
for me. 

Pray for me then oh Mary, and commend me to 
thy Son. Thou knowest better than I know myself, 
my miseries and my necessities. What more would I 
say to thee ? Have pity on me. I am so miserable 
and ignorant that I do not even know, and cannot 
even ask, the graces that are most necessary for me. 
Oh my queen and most sweet mother, ask thou and 
obtain for me, from thy Son, those graces which thou 
knowest to be most useful and necessary for my soul. 
Into thy hands I entirely abandon myself, and only 
pray the divine Majesty, that through the merits of 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


457 


my Saviour Jesus, he may grant me those graces that 
thou dost ask of him for me. Ask, ask then for me, 
oh most holy Virgin, whatever thou esteemest best. 
Thy prayers are never rejected. They are the prayers 
of a mother to a Son, who loves thee so much, and 
finds his joy in granting whatever thou dost ask of 
him, thus the more to honor thee, and at the same 
time, show thee the great love he bears thee. Oh 
Lady, thus let it be. I will live trusting in thee. 
Thou must think only on saving me. Amen. 


DISCOURSE VI. 

ON THE PURIFICATION OF MARY. 


The great sacrifice which Mary this day made to God, in of- 
fering him the life of her Son. 

There were two precepts of the ancient law con- 
cerning the birth of first-born sons. One was, that 
the mother should remain as an unclean person, re- 
tired in her house, for forty days; after which she 
should go to purify herself in the temple. The other 
was, that the parents of the first-born should take him 
to the temple, and there offer him to God. On this 
day the most holy Virgin desired to obey both pre- 
cepts. Although Mary was not bound by the law of 
purification, since she was always a virgin, and always 
pure ; yet, by her love of humility and obedience, she 

39 


458 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


wished to go, like other mothers, to be purified. At 
the same time she obeyed the second precept, to pre- 
sent and offer her Son to the eternal Father : “ And 
after the days of her purification, according to the law 
of Moses, were accomplished, they carried him to Je- 
rusalem, to present him to the Lord.”* But the 
Virgin offered him in a different manner from that in 
which other mothers offered their sons. Others offered 
them, but they knew that this was a simple ceremony 
of the law, through which, by redeeming them, they 
made them their own, without the fear that they 
should be obliged to offer them again, and to death. 
Mary really offered her Son to death, knowing cer- 
tainly that the sacrifice of the life of Jesus which she 
then made, should one day be actually consummated 
upon the altar of the cross ; so that Mary, by offering 
the life of her Son, through the love she bore this 
Son, really sacrificed herself entirely to God. Laying 
aside, then, all the other considerations which we might 
make upon the various mysteries of this festival, let 
us only consider how great was this sacrifice that Mary 
made of herself to God, by offering to him, on this 
day, the life of her Son. And this will be the only 
subject of the following discourse. 

The eternal Father had already determined to save 
man, who was lost through sin, and free him from 
eternal death. But because he wished that, at the 

* Et postquam impleti sunt dies purgationis ejus, secundum 
legem Moysi, tulerunt ilium in Jerusalem, ut sisterent eum Do- 
mino. Luc. ii. 22. 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


459 


same time, his divine justice should not be defrauded of 
a full and due satisfaction, he did not spare the life 
of his own Son, already made man in order to redeem 
man ; but he required that he should pay, to its most 
rigorous extent, the penalty merited by men : “ He 
that spared not even his own Son,” says the apostle, 
“ but delivered him up for us all.”* He sent him 
therefore on the earth to become man, destined for 
him a mother, and chose the Virgin Mary ; but as he 
did not wish his divine Word to become her Son be- 
fore she accepted him by her express consent, so he 
did not wish that Jesus should sacrifice his life for the 
salvation of men without the concurrence of the con- 
sent of Mary, that together with the sacrifice of the 
life of the Son, the heart of the mother might be sac- 
rificed also. St. Thomas teaches, that the relation of 
mother gives an especial right over her children ; hence 
Jesus, being innocent in himself and not deserving any 
punishment for hi& own sins, it seemed fitting that he 
should not be destined to the cross as the victim for 
the sins of the world without the consent of his 
mother, by which she should voluntarily offer him to 
death. 

But although Mary, from the moment she was 
made mother of Jesus, gave her consent to his death, 
yet the Lord wished her, on this day, to make, in the 
temple, a solemn sacrifice of herself, by offering sol- 
emnly lier Son, and sacrificing to the divine justice 

* Qui proprio filio suo non pepercit, sed pro nobis omnibus, 
tradidit ilium. Rom. viii. 32. 


460 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


his precious life. Hence St. Epiphanius called her a 
priest : “ Virginem appello velut sacerdotem.”* Now 
we begin to see how much this sacrifice cost her, and 
what heroic virtue she was obliged to practice when 
she had herself to sign the sentence of condemnation 
of her dear Jesus to death. 

Now behold Mary actually on her way to Jerusa- 
lem to offer her Son ; she hastens her steps towards 
the place of sacrifice, and she herself carries her be- 
loved victim in her arms. She enters the temple, ap- 
proaches the altar, and there, filled with modesty, 
humility, and devotion, she presents her Son to the 
Most High. At this moment St. Simeon, who had 
received the promise from God that he should not die 
before seeing the expected Messias, takes the divine 
child from the Jiands of the Virgin, and, enlightened 
by the Holy Spirit, announces to her how much sor- 
row this sacrifice must cause her, this sacrifice which 
she was about to make of her Son, with whom must 
her blessed soul also be sacrificed. Here St. Thomas 
of Villanova contemplates the holy old man, who, 
when he had to announce the fatal prophecy to this 
poor mother, is agitated and silent.f Then the saint 
considers Mary, who asks : Why, oh Simeon, in the 
time of so great consolation, are you thus disturbed ? 
“ Unde tanta turbatio ?” To whom he answers : Oh, 
noble and holy Virgin, I wished not to announce to 
thee such bitter tidings, but since the Lord wishes it 
thus, for thy greater merit, hear what I say to 

* Or. de Laud. Deip. f Serm. de Purific. Virg. 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


461 


thee.* * * § This infant who now causes thee, and with rea- 
son, so much joy, oh God, shall one day bring thee the 
most cruel suffering that any creature has ever experi- 
enced in the world ; and this will be w T hen thou shalt 
see him persecuted by men of every sort, and placed 
on the earth as the mark of their sneers and derision, 
even until he is put to death before thy eyes.f Know 
that after his death there will be many martyrs 
who, for love of this thy Son, will be tormented and 
slain ; but if their martyrdom will be of the body, thy 
martyrdom, oh divine mother, will be of the heart.J 
Yes, of the heart, for nothing but compassion for 
the sufferings of this Son so dear could be meant by 
the sword of sorrow that St. Simeon predicted was to 
pierce the heart of the mother : “ And thy own soul 
a sword shall pierce. ”§ Already the most holy Vir- 
gin, as St. Jerome says, had been enlightened through 
the divine Scriptures to know the sufferings which the 
Redeemer was to endure in his life, and still more at 
the time of his death. She well understood from the 
prophets, that he was to be betrayed by one of his 
friends: “Who ate my bread hath greatly supplanted 

* 0 Virgo regia, nollem tibi talia nuntiare, sed audi. Serm. 
de Purific. Virg. 

f Nimium nunc pro-isto infante lastaris, sed ecce iste positus 
in signum cui contradicetur. 

% 0 quot millia hominum pro ipso puero laniabuntur, et jugu- 
labuntur ; et si omnes patientur in corpore, tu Virgo in corde 
patieris. Loc. cit. 

§ Et tuam ipsius animam doloris gladius pertransibit. Luc. 
ii. 35. 


39 * 


462 


GLORIES OF MART. 


me;”* as David predicted. Abandoned by bis dis- 
ciples : Strike the shepherd, and the sheep shall be 
scattered: “Percute Pastorem, et dispergentur oves.”f 
Well did she know the insults, spitting, blows, and de- 
rision that he was to suffer from the people : “ I have 
given my body to the strikers, and my cheeks to them 
that plucked them ; I have not turned away my face 
from them that rebuked me and spit upon me.”J She 
knew that he was to become the scandal of men, and 
the outcast of the lowest of the people : “ But I am a 
worm and no man, the reproach of men and the out- 
cast of the people, ”§ even to be laden with insults 
and outrages: “He shall be filled with reproaches.” || 
She knew that at the end of his life his sacred flesh 
would be torn and bruised by scourges : “ He was 
wounded for our iniquities, he was bruised for our 
sins,”®]' so that his body would be wholly disfigured 
by them, become as a leper, all sores : “ There is no 
beauty in him, nor comeliness, and we have thought 
him, as it were, a leper,”** even till the bones were 

* Qui edebat panes meos, magnificavit super me supplanta- 
tionem. Psal. xl. 10. + Zacc. xiii. 7. 

X Corpus meum dedi percutientibus, et genas mqas vellenti- 
bus, faciem meam non averti ab increpantibus, et conspuentibus 
in me. Isa. 1. 6. 

§ Ego autem sum vermis et non bomo ; opprobrium hominum 
et abjectio plebis. Psal. xxi. 7. 

| Saturabitur opprobriis. Thren. 3. 

IT Ipse autem vuineratus est propter iniquitates nostras, attri- 
tus est propter scelera nostra. Isa. liii. 5. 

** Non est species ei neque decor . . . . Et nos putavimus eum 
quasi leprosum. Isa. liii. 2, 4. 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


463 


uncovered : “ They have numbered all my bones.”* * * § 
She knew that he was to be pierced by nails. f That 
he was to be reputed with the wicked. J And that 
finally he was to die, hanging on the cross, slain for 
the salvation of men : “ And they shall look upon me 
whom they have pierced. ”§ 

Mary, I repeat, already knew all the sufferings that 
her Son was to endure, but in the above quoted words 
of St. Simeon: “And thy own soul a sword shall 
pierce,” as the Lord revealed to St. Theresa, all the 
minute circumstances of the external as well as inter- 
nal sufferings which her Lord Jesus was to endure in 
his passion, were made known to her. She consented 
to all with a firmness which made the angels wonder, 
and pronounced the sentence that her Son should die, 
and die by a death so ignominious and painful, in these 
words : Eternal Father, since thou dost will it, not 
my will, but thine be done : “ Non mea voluntas, sed 
tua fiat ;” I unite mine to thy holy will, and sacrifice 
to thee this my Son ; I am satisfied that he should 
lose his life for thy glory, and for the salvation of the 
world. And I also sacrifice to thee my heart; let 
grief pierce it as much as pleases thee ; it suffices to 
me that thou, oh my God, art glorified and satisfied ; 
not my will, but thine be done. Oh, charity with- 
out measure ! oh, constancy without example ! oh, 

* Dinumeraverunt omnia ossa mea. Psal. xxi. 18. 

f Foderunt manus meas et pedes meas. Loc. cit. 

% Et cum sceleratis reputatus est. Isa. liii. 12. 

§ Et aspicient ad me quern confixerunt. Zacc. xii. 10. 


464 GLORIES OF MARY. 

victory that merits the eternal admiration of heaven 
and of earth ! 

And hence Mary, in the passion of Jesus, was silent 
when he was unjustly accused ; she said nothing to 
Pilate, who was inclined to liberate him, for he had 
already known his innocence ; but she only appeared 
in public to be present at the great sacrifice, which 
was to be offered on Calvary. She accompanied him 
to the place of punishment ; she was with him from 
the first moment he was placed upon the cross : There 
stood by the cross of Jesus his mother: “Stabat 
juxta crucem Jesu mater ejus until she saw him 
expire, and the sacrifice was consummated. And all 
this to complete the offering which she had already 
made of him to God in the temple. 

In order to understand the violence that Maiy had 
to offer herself in making this sacrifice, it would be 
nec^sary to comprehend the love which this mother 
bore to Jesus. Generally speaking, the love of 
mothers is so tender for their children, that when 
they are at the point of death, and they are about to 
lose them, they forget all their faults, their defects, 
and even the injuries they have received from them, 
and they suffer an inexpressible grief. And yet the 
love of those mothers is a love divided among other 
children, or among other creatures. Mary has one 
only Son, and he is the most beautiful of all the 
children of Adam ; he is most amiable, for he has all 
lovable qualities; he is obedient, virtuous, innocent, 
holy, in one word, he is God. The love of this 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


465 


mother, too, is not divided among other objects ; she 
has centered all her love upon this only Son, neither 
does she fear loving him to excess, for this her Son is 
God, who merits an infinite love. And this Son is the 
victim whom she had voluntarily to offer to death. 

Let every one consider, then, how much it must 
have cost Mary to sacrifice on the cross the life of a 
Son so- amiable, and what strength of mind she must 
have exercised in this act. Behold the most fortunate 
of mothers, because she is the mother of a God, but 
she is at the same time a mother most worthy of com- 
passion, because the most afflicted ; being the mother 
of a Son whom she saw destined to the cross from 
the day when he was given her for a Son ! What 
mother would accept a son, knowing that afterwards 
she should lose him by such a painful and infamous 
death, and that she should be present to see him 
die ? Mary willingly accepted this Son with so hard 
a condition ; and not only accepted him, but offers 
him herself this day, with her own hands, to death, 
sacrificing him to the divine justice. St. Bonaven- 
ture says, that the blessed Virgin would willingly 
have taken upon herself the sufferings and death of her 
Son ; but to obey God she made the great offering of 
the divine life of her beloved Jesus, conquering, but 
with the greatest grief, all the tenderness of love that 
she bore him.* Hence it is, that in this offering Mary 

* Si fieri potuisset, omnia tormenta quae filius pertulit, sus- 
tinuisset ; et nihilominus placuit ei quod unigenitus ejus pro 
salute generis humani offerretur. In p. 1, Dist. 48, q. 2. 


466 


GLORIES OF MART. 


had to do more violence to herself, and was more 
generous, than if she had offered herself to suffer all 
her Son was to suffer. Therefore she surpassed all 
the martyrs in generosity, for the martyrs offered their 
own lives ; but the Virgin offered the life of her Son, 
whom she loved and esteemed infinitely more than 
her own life. 

Neither did the suffering of this painful offering end 
here ; rather it commenced here ; for from that time 
forward, through the whole life of her Son, Mary had 
always before her eyes death, and all the pains he was 
to suffer in his death. Hence, the more this Son dis- 
covered to her how beautiful, graceful, and amiable 
he was, so much more did the anguish of her heart 
constantly increase. Ah, afflicted mother! if thou 
hadst loved thy Son less, or if thy Son had been less 
lovely, and had loved thee less, thy suffering would 
certainly have been less in offering him to death. But 
there never has been, and there never will be, a 
more loving mother than thou, because there never 
has been, and never will be, a son more amiable 
and more loving towards his mother than thy Jesus. 
Oh God ! if we had seen the beauty, the majesty of 
countenance of that divine child, could we have had 
the courage to sacrifice his life for our salvation ? And 
thou, oh Mary ! who art his mother, and a mother so 
loving, couldst thou offer thy innocent Son for the 
salvation of men, to a death more painful and more 
cruel than any criminal had ever endured on this 
earth ? 


GLORIES OF MART. 


467 


Alas ! what a fearful scene from that day forward 
did love continually place before the eyes of Mary, 
representing to her all the injuries and mockeries 
which were to be offered to her poor Son ! Behold 
love already representing him to her in his agony in 
the garden, then torn by scourges, and crowned with 
thorns in the hall of Pilate, and finally hanging from 
the infamous wood on Calvary ! Behold, oh mother, 
said love, what a lovely and innocent Son thou hast 
offered to such sufferings, and to so dreadful a death ! 
And of what avail will it be to thee to rescue him 
from the hands of Herod, in order to reserve him for 
so piteous an end ? 

Thus Mary not only offered her Son to death in the 
temple, but was offering him up at every moment of 
her life ; for she revealed to St. Bridget, that this 
grief which St. Simeon announced to her, never left 
her heart till she was assumed into heaven.* Hence 
St. Anselm says: Oh Lady, I cannot believe, that 
with such a sorrow thou wouldst have been able to 
live one moment, if God himself, who gives life, had 
not strengthened thee by his divine power. f And St. 
Bernard affirms, speaking of the great sorrow that 
Mary endured on this day, that henceforth she suffered 
a living death, bearing a grief more cruel than death. J 

* Dolor iste, usquedum assurapta fui corpore et anima in 
ccelum, nunquam deficit a corde meo. 

t Pia Domina, non crediderim te ullo puncto potuisse stimu- 
los tanti crucidtus, quin vitam emitteres, sustinere, nisi ipso 
epiritus vitae te confortasset. 

X Moriebatur vivens, dolorem ferens morte crudeliorem. 


468 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


She lived, dying at every moment, because grief for 
the death of her beloved Jesus, which was more cruel 
than any death, was at every moment assailing her. 

The divine mother then, on account of the great 
merit she acquired in this great sacrifice, which she 
made to God for the salvation of the world, was justly 
called by St. Augustine : The restorer of the human 
race: “Reparatrix generis humani.”* By St. Epi- 
phanius: The redeemer of captives: “ Redemptrix 
captivorum.”f By St. Ildephonsus : The restorer of 
the ruined world : “ Reparatrix perditi orbis.”J By 
St. Germanus : “ The consolation of our miseries : 
“ Restauratio calamitatum nostrarum.”§ By St. Am- 
brose : The mother of all believers : “ Mater omnium 
credentium.”|| By St. Augustine : The mother of 
the living : “ Mater viventium.”^[ By St. Andrew of 
Crete : The mother of life : “ Mater vitae. ”** For, as 
St. Arnold Camotensis says : In the death of Jesus, 
Mary united her will to that of her Son in such a 
manner, that both offered the same sacrifice ; and 
therefore the holy abbot says, that thus the Son and 
the mother effected the human redemption, obtaining 
salvation for men.f f J esus by satisfying for our sins, 
Mary by obtaining for us that this satisfaction should 

* De Fide, ad Petr. + De Laud. Virg. 

% Serm. 1., de Ass. § In Exc. Virg. 

1 Ap. S. Bon. Spec. c. 20. If Serm. 2, de Ass. 

** Horn. 2, Ass. 

ft Omnino tunc erat una Christi et Marise voluntas, unumquo 
holocaustum ambo pariter offerebant ; unde communem in 
mundi salute cum illo effectum ostendit. Tr. de Laud. Virg. 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


469 


be applied to us. And hence blessed Denis the Car- 
thusian likewise affirms, that the divine mother may- 
be called the salvation of the world, since by the 
pain she endured in commiserating her Son (volun- 
tarily sacrificed by her to divine justice), she merited 
that the merits of the Redeemer should be communi- 
cated to men.'* 

Mary, then, having been made the mother of all 
the redeemed, by the merit of her sufferings, and of 
the offering of her Son ; it is just to believe that only 
by her hand may be given them the milk of those 
divine graces, which are the fruits of the merits of 
Jesus Christ, and the means to obtain life eternal. 
And it is to this that St. Bernard alludes, when he 
says that God has placed in the hands of Mary the 
whole price of our redemption. f By which the saint 
gives us to understand, that by means of the inter- 
cession of the blessed Virgin, the merits of the Re- 
deemer are applied to souls, as by her hand these’ 
graces nre dispensed, which are precisely the price of 
the merits of Jesus Christ. 

And if the sacrifice of Abraham in offering up to 
him his son Isaac so pleased God that he promised, 
as a reward, to multiply his descendants as the stars 

* Dici potest Virgo mundi salvatrix propter meritum suss 
compassionis, quss patienti filio acerbissime condolendo excel- 
lenter promeruit, ut per preces ejus meritum passionis Christi 
hominibus communicetur, L. 2, de Laud. Virg. art. 23. 

t Redempturus humanum genus, universum pretium contu- 
lit in Mariam. Serm, de Aquaed. 

40 


470 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


of heaven : “ Because thou hast done this thing, and 
hast not spared thy only begotten Son for my sake ; 
I will bless thee, and I will multiply thy seed as the 
stars of heaven we must certainly believe that 
the more remarkable sacrifice which this great mother 
made of Jesus was much more agreeable to the Lord ; 
and, therefore, it has been granted her, that by her 
prayers, the number of the elect should be multi- 
pled, that is, the favored succession of her children, 
for she holds and protects as such her devoted ser- 
vants. 

St. Simeon received a promise from God that he 
should not die until he had seen the Messiah born : 
“And he had received an answer from the Holy 
Ghost, that he should not see death before he had 
seen the Christ of the Lord.”f But he did not re- 
ceive this grace except by means of Mary, for he did 
not see the Saviour until he saw him in the arms of 
Mary. Hence, whoever wishes to find Jesus, will not 
find him except through Mary. Let us, then, go to this 
divine mother if we wish to find Jesus ; and let us 
go with great confidence. Mary said to her servant 
Prudentiana Zagnoni,J that every year, on this day of 
the purification, a great mercy would be shown to 


'* Quia fecisti hanc rem, et non pepercisti filio tuo unigenito 
propter me ; benedicam tibi, et multiplicabo semen tuum sicut 
Stellas cceli. Genes, xxii. 16, 17. 

t Responsum acceperat a Spiritu Sancto non visurum se mor- 
tem nisi priiis videret Christum Dominum. Luc. ii. 26. 

X Ap. Marc. 


GLORIES OF MART. 


471 


some sinner. Who knows but one of us may to-day 
be that favored sinner ? If our sins are great, greater 
is the power of Mary. The Son can deny nothing to 
this mother, says St. Bernard.* If Jesus is offend- 
ed with us, Mary immediately appeases him. Plu- 
tarch relates that Antipater wrote to Alexander the 
Great a long letter of accusations against Olympias, 
the mother of Alexander. Having read the letter, he 
answered :“Does not Antipater know that one tear of 
my mother is enough to cancel an endless number of 
letters of accusation”?! Thus we may imagine Jesus 
would also answer to the accusations which the devil 
presents him against us when Mary is praying him for 
us : Does not Lucifer know that one prayer of my 
mother, in favor of a sinner, is enough to make 
me forget all the accusations of offences committed 
against me ? The following example is a proof of 
this. 


EXAMPLE. 

This example is not recorded in any book, but a 
priest, a companion of mine, related it to me, as 
having happened to himself. While this priest was 
hearing confessions in a certain church (for sufficient 
reasons he did not mention the place where this 
occurred, although the penitent gave him leave to 
publish the fact), a youth stood before him, who 

* Exaudiet utique matrem filius. De Aqused. 

+ Ignorare Antipatrum sexcentas epistolas una deleri matris 
lacrymula ? Flut. in Alex. 


472 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


appeared to wish and not to wish to come to con- 
fession. The Father, after looking at him several 
times, at length called him, and asked him if he wished 
to make his confession. He answered, yes; but as 
he required a long time for it, the confessor took 
him into a retired room. There the penitent be- 
gan by telling him that he was a foreigner, and 
of noble birth, but he could not believe that it 
was possible for God to pardon him after the life he 
had led. Besides innumerable other sins he had 
committed of impurity, homicide, &c., he said, that 
being entirely in despair of salvation, he had set about 
committing sins, not so much for his own gratification, 
as to defy God, and manifest the hatred he bore him. 
He said, that among other things, he had with him 
a crucifix, which he had beaten out of contempt. 
He said that just before, on that very morning, he 
had made a sacrilegious communion, and for what 
object ? That he might put under his feet the 
consecrated wafer. And that, in fact, he had actually 
received, and was about to put in execution his hor- 
rible intention, but was prevented by the people who 
observed him. He then consigned to the confessor 
the consecrated host, wrapped in a paper, and told 
him that as he was passing by that church he had a 
great desire to enter. He could not resist this de- 
sire, and had entered. That then he felt great re- 
morse of conscience, together with a certain confused 
and irresolute desire to make his confession. For 
this reason he had placed himself before the confes- 


GLORIES OF MARY. 473 

sional, but while standing there he felt so confused 
and timid, that he wished to go away, but it seemed 
as if some one had retained him by force : “ Until,” 
he said, “you, Father, called me; and now I find 
myself here ; * I find myself making my confession ; 
but I know not how to do it.” The Father then 
asked him if he had practiced any act of devotion 
during that time; meaning towards the most holy 
Mary ; for such sudden conversions only come 
through the powerful hands of the Virgin. “None, 
Father; what devotion could I offer,” answered the 
youth, “ when I believed myself lost ?” “ But try to 

remember more carefully,” replied the Father. “Fa- 
ther, nothing.” But accidentally putting his hand to 
his breast, he remembered that he wore the Scapular 
of the Seven Dolors of Mary: “Maria addolorata.” 
“ Ah, my son,” said the confessor to him, “ do you 
not see that our blessed Lady has bestowed this grace 
upon you ? And know,” he added, “ that this church 
is a church of our blessed Lady.” - Hearing this, the 
youth was moved to contrition, and began to weep. 
He confessed his sins, and his compunction increased 
to such a degree that, bursting into tears, he fell, 
overcome with grief, as it seemed, at the feet of the 
Father, who, having restored him by a cordial, finally 
finished hearing his confession, and absolved him with 
the greatest consolation, as he was entirely contrite 
and resolved to amend his life. The Father sent 
him back to his own country after having obtained 
from him full liberty to preach and publish every- 

40 * 


474 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


where the great mercy exercised by Mary towards 
him. 

p RATER. 

Oh holy mother of God and my mother Mary, didst 
thou then feel so great care of my salvation that thou 
didst even consent to offer up to death the object 
dearest to thy heart, thy beloved Jesus? If thou, 
then, hast so greatly desired to see me saved, it is just 
that next to God I should place in thee all my hopes. 
Oh blessed Virgin, I do indeed confide entirely in thee. 
Oh, by the merit of this great sacrifice of the life of 
thy Son which to-day thou hast offered to God, pray 
him to have pity on my soul, for which this immacu- 
late Lamb did not refuse to die upon the cross. 

To-day, oh my queen, I also, in imitation of thee, 
wish to offer my poor heart- to God ; but I fear that 
he will refuse it, seeing it thus filthy and loathsome. 
But if thou wilt offer it to him, he will not refuse it. 
All the offerings made him by thy most pure hands 
he accepts and receives. To thee, then, oh Mary, I 
present myself to-day, miserable as I am, and to thee 
I give myself entirely. Offer me as thine to the eter- 
nal Father and to Jesus, and pray him that through 
the merits of his Son, and by thy favor, he may accept 
me, and take me for his own. Ah, my sweetest 
mother, for the love thou bearest this Son whom thou 
hast sacrificed, aid me always, and do not abandon 
me. Do not permit that I should one day lose, 
through my sins, this my most loving Redeemer, to- 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


475 


day offered by thee with so much anguish to die on 
the cross. Say to him that I am thy servant ; say to 
him that in thee I have placed all my hope ; say to 
him, in a word, that thou dost wish for my salvation, 
and he will certainly graciously hear thee. Amen. 


DISCOURSE Y II. 

ON THE ASSUMPTION OF MARY. 

On this day the Church proposes to us to celebrate 
two .solemn observances in honor of Mary : one, her 
happy departure from this earth ; the other, her glori- 
ous assumption into heaven. In the present discourse 
we shall speak of her departure from this earth, and 
in the next of her assumption. 

How precious was the death of Mary! 1st, On 
account of the special graces which attended it ; 2d, 
On account of the manner of it. 

Death being the punishment of sin, it would seem 
that the divine mother, all holy and exempt from 
every stain, should not be subject to death, nor 
suffer the same misfortune as the children of Adam, 
who are infected by the poison of sin. But God, 
wishing Mary in all things to be like to Jesus, re- 
quired, as the Son had died, that the mother should 
also die ; and because he wished to give to the just 
an example of the blessed death prepared for them, 
he decreed that the Virgin should die, but by a sweet 


476 


GLORIES OF MART. 


and happy death. Hence we will enter upon the 
consideration, how precious was the death of Mary. 
1st. On account of the special graces by which it was 
accompanied. 2d. On account of the manner in 
which it took place. 

Point First . — Three things render death bitter, 
namely, attachment to earth, remorse for sin, and the 
uncertainty of salvation. But the death of Mary was 
entirely free from any such causes of bitterness, and 
was attended by many circumstances which rendered 
it precious and joyful. She died as she had always 
lived, entirely detached from all earthly things ; she 
died in the most perfect peace of conscience ; she died 
in the certainty of eternal glory. 

And in the first place, there is no doubt that attach- 
ment to the goods of earth renders the death of the 
worldly bitter and miserable, as the Holy Spirit says : 
“ Oh, death, how bitter is the remembrance of thee 
to a man that hath peace in his possessions !”* But 
because the saints die detached from the things of the 
world, their death is not bitter, but sweet, lovely, and 
precious ; or, as St. Bernard explains, it is worth being 
purchased at any price. Blessed are the dead who 
die in the Lord : “ Beati mortui qui in Domino mori- 
untur.”f Who are they that being dead, die ? Pre- 
cisely those happy souls that pass into eternity, already 
detached, and, as it were, dead to all affections for 

* 0 mors, quam amara est memoria tua liomini pacem lia- 
benti in substantiis suis ! Eccli. xli. 1. 

t Apoc. xiv. 18. 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


477 


terrestrial things, having found in God alone their 
every good; as St. Francis of Assisium, who ex- 
claimed : My God, and my all : “ Deus meus et 
omnia.” But what soul was ever more detached from 
the things of the world, and more united to God, than 
the beautiful soul of Mary ? She was indeed entirely 
detached from her parents, since at the age of three 
years, when children are most dependent on their 
parents, and have the greatest need of their assist- 
ance, Mary with so great resolution left them, and 
went to shut herself up in the temple to attend to 
the things of God. She was detached from riches, 
contented to live always poor, and supporting herseW 
with the labor of her hands. She was detached from 
honors, loving an humble and abject life, although 
queenly honor belonged to her, for she traced her 
descent from the kings of Israel. The Virgin herself 
revealed to St. Elizabeth, a Benedictine nun, that 
when she was left in the temple by her parents, she 
resolved in her heart to have no other father, and to 
love no other good but God. 

St. John saw Mary represented in that woman 
clothed with the sun, who held the moon under her 
feet. “ And there appeared a great wonder in heaven ; 
a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under 
her feet.”* Interpreters explain the moon to signify 
the goods of this earth, that are uncertain, and change 
as the moon does. All these goods Maiy never had 

* Signum magnum apparuit in coelo ; mulier amicta solo et 
luna sub pedibus ejus. Apoc. xii. 1. 


478 


GLORIES OF MART. 


in her heart, but always despised them and kept them 
under her feet ; living in this world as a solitary turtle- 
dove in a desert ; placing her affection on no earthly 
thing, so that it was said of her : The voice of the 
turtle is heard in our land: “ Yox turturis audita est 
in terra nostra.”* * * § And again, “ Who is she that goeth 
up by the desert ?”f whence Rupert says: ‘‘Thou 
hast gone up by the desert, that is, having a solitary 
soul.”J Mary, then, having always lived entirely de- 
tached from the things of earth, and only united to 
God, not bitter, but very sweet and dear to her was 
death, which united her more closely to God, by the 
eternal bonds of paradise. 

Secondly, peace of conscience renders the death of 
the just precious. The sins committed in life are 
those worms that the most torment and gnaw the 
heart of poor dying sinners, who, about to be pre- 
sented at the divine tribunal, see themselves at that 
moment surrounded by their sins, which terrify them, 
and pursue them with cries, as St. Bernard says : 
“We are thy works, we will not desert thee.”§ Cer- 
tainly Mary could not be afflicted in death by any re- 
morse of conscience, for she was always holy, always 
pure, and always free from every shade of actual and 
original sin ; hence it was said of her : Thou art all 

* Vox turturis audita est in terra nostra. Cant. ii. 12. 

t Quae est ista quae ascendit per desertum, etc. Cant. iii. 6. 

X Talis ascendisti per desertum, idest animam liabens solita- 
riam. 

§ Opera tua sumus, non te deseremus. 


GLORIES OF MARY. 479 

fair, oil my love, and there is not a spot in thee: 
“Tota pulchra es, arnica mea, et macula non est in 
te.”* As soon as she had the use of reason, that is, 
from the first moment of her immaculate conception 
in the womb of St. Ann, from that time she began 
with all her powers to love her God ; and thus she 
continued to do, ever advancing more in perfection 
and love through her whole life. All her thoughts, 
her desires, her affections, were wholly given to God ; 
not a word, not a motion, not a glance of the eye, not 
a breath of hers that was not for God and for his 
glory, never departing one step, nor separating her- 
self for one moment from the divine love. Ah! in 
the happy hour of her death how did all the lovely 
virtues which she practised during her life surround 
her blessed bed ! That faith so constant, that affection- 
ate confidence in God, that patience so strong in the 
midst of sufferings, that humility in the midst of so 
many privileges, that modesty, that meekness, that 
compassion for souls, that zeal for the divine glory, 
and above all, that perfect charity towards God, with 
that entire uniformity to the divine will — all, in a 
word, thronged around her, and consoling her, said : 
We are thy works, we will not desert thee : “ Opera 
tua sumus, non te deseremus.” Oh Lady and 
mother, we are all children of thy loving heart; 
now that thou art leaving this miserable life, we will 
not leave thee, we also will go to attend thee and 
honor thee in paradise, where, by our means, thou 
* Cant. iv. 7. 


480 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


wilt be crowned queen of all men and of all the 
angels. 

In the third place, the certainty of eternal salva- 
tion renders death sweet. Death is called a passage, 
since through death we pass from this short life to life 
eternal. And, as the dread is great of those who 
die in doubt of their salvation, and who approach the 
solemn moment with just fear of passing into an eter- 
nal death, thus, on the other hand, very great is the 
joy of the saints at the end of life, hoping with some 
security to go and possess God in heaven. A nun of 
the order of St. Theresa, when the physician an- 
nounced to her that death was near, was so full of 
joy that she said to him : “ And how does it happen, 
sir, that you tell me this good news and ask no fee for 
it?” St. Lawrence Justinian being at the point of 
death, and seeing his friends weeping around him, said 
to them : “ Away, away with your tears, this is no 
time for tears.”* Go elsewhere to weep ; if you will 
remain with me you must rejoice, as I rejoice, in see- 
ing the gate of paradise open to unite me with my 
God. And thus, also, a St. Peter of Alcantara, a St. 
Louis of Gonzaga, and so many other saints, on hear- 
ing that death was at hand, burst forth into exclama- 
tions of joy and gladness. And yet they were not 
certain of the divine favor, nor secure of their own 
sanctity, as Mary was secure of hers. But what joy 
must the divine mother have felt in learning that her 

* Abite, abite cum lacrymis vestris ; non est tempus lacryma- 
rum. 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


481 


death was at hand ; she, who had the fullest security 
of enjoying the divine favor, especially after the angel 
Gabriel had assured her that she was full of grace, 
and already possessed God ! “ Hail, full of grace, the 
Lord is with thee .... thou hast found grace.”* And 
well did she herself know that her heart was burning 
continually with divine love, so that as Bemardine de 
Bustis says, Mary, by a singular grace not granted to 
any other saint, loved, and was always actually oc- 
cupied in loving God every moment of her life, and so 
ardently, that, as St. Bernard says, it required a per- 
petual miracle to preserve her life in the midst of 
such burning flames. 

It was before said of Mary in the sacred Canticles : 
“ Who is she that goeth up by the desert as a pillar 
of smoke of aromatical spices, of myrrh, and frankin- 
cense, and of all the powders of the perfumer ?”f 
Her entire mortification was prefigured in the myrrh, 
her fervent prayers were signified by the incense, and 
all her holy virtues united to her perfect charity to- 
wards God, kindled in her a flame so great, that 
her holy soul, wholly devoted to, and consumed by 
divine love, arose continually to God as a pillar of 
smoke that on all sides breathed sweet odor. As a 
pillar of smoke, oh blessed Lady, wrote Rupert, thou 


* Ave gratia plena ; Dominus tecum . . . invenisti gratiam. 
Luc. xxviii. 30. 

t Quse est ista quse ascenditper desertum, sicut virgula fumi, 
ex aromatibus myrrhaa. et tkuris, et universi pulveris pigmenta- 
rii ? Cant. iii. 6. 


41 


482 GLORIES OF MARY. 

hast breathed forth a sweet odor to the Most High.* 
And Eustachius still more strongly expresses it : A pil- 
lar of smoke, because burning interiorly as a holocaust 
with the flame of divine love, she sent forth a most 
sweet odor.f As the loving Virgin lived, such she 
died. As divine love gave her life, so it gave her 
death; for she died as the holy Doctors and Fathers 
of the Church generally affirm, of no other infirmity 
than pure love ; for St. Ildephonsus says, that Mary 
either ought not to die, or only die of love. 

Second Point . — But let us now see what were the 
circumstances of her happy death. After the ascen- 
sion of Jesus Christ, Mary remained on earth to attend 
to the propagation of the faith. Hence the disciples 
of Jesus had recourse to her, and she resolved their 
doubts, comforted them in their persecutions, and en- 
couraged them to labor for the divine glory and for 
the salvation of the souls redeemed by her Son. She, 
indeed, willingly remained on earth, understanding 
this to be the will of God for the good of the Church ; 
but she could not but feel the pain of being far from 
the presence and sight of her beloved Son, who had 
ascended into heaven. “Where your treasure is,” 
said the Redeemer, “there will your heart be also.”]; 
Where any one believes his treasure and his happiness 

* Talis fumi virgula, beata Maria, suavem odorem spirasti al- 
tissimo. 

+ Virgula fumi, quia concremata intus in liolocaustum incen- 
dio divini amoris, ex ea flagrabat suavissimus odor. 

X Ubi thesaurus vester est ibi et cor vestrum erit. Luc. 
xii. 34. 


GLORIES OF MARY. 483 

to lie, there he always holds the love and desire of his 
heart fixed. If Mary then loved no other good than 
Jesus, he being in heaven, in heaven were all her de- 
sires. Taulerus wrote of Mary : The cell of Mary was 
heaven: “Marise cella fuit coelum,”* for being in 
heaven with her affection, she made of it her continual 
abode. Her school was eternity : “ Schola ceternitas,” 
for she was always detached from temporal posses- 
sions. Her teacher, divine truth : “ Paedagogus divi- 
na veritas,” for she was always guided in her actions 
by the divine light. Her mirror, the Divinity : “ Spe- 
culum divinitas,” for she looked upon nothing but 
God, in order to conform always, to the divine will. 
Her ornament, devotion : “ Ornatus ejus devotio,” 
for she was always ready to fulfil the divine com- 
mands. Her repose, union with God : “ Quies unitas 
cum Deo,” for her peace was only in uniting her- 
self with God. In a word, the place and treasure 
of her heart was God alone : “ Cordis illius locus et 
thesaurus solus Deus erat.” The most holy Virgin 
consoled her loving heart during this cruel separation, 
by visiting, as it is narrated, the holy places of Pales- 
tine, where her Son had been in his lifetime : she often 
visited now the stable of Bethlehem, where her Son 
was born ; now the workshop at Nazareth, where her 
Son had lived so many years poor and despised ; now 
the garden of Gethsemane, where her Son commenced 
his passion ; now the hall of Pilate, where he was 


* Serm. de Nat. V. Mar. 


484 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


scourged ; the place where he was crowed ; but 
more often she visited Calvary, where her Son had 
expired ; and the holy sepulchre, where she finally had 
left him. And thus the most loving mother used to 
soothe the pains of her cruel exile. But this was 
not enough to satisfy her heart, which could not find 
its perfect rest upon this earth ; hence her continual 
sighs were ascending to her Lord, as she exclaimed 
with David, but with more ardent love : “ Who will 
give me wings like a dove, and I will fly and be at 
rest.”* Who will give me wings like a dove to fly to 
my God and there to find my rest ? “ As the hart 

panteth after the fountains of water, so my soul pant- 
eth after thee, oh God.”f As the wounded stag 
pants for the fountain, so my soul, wounded by thy 
love, oh my God, desires and sighs for thee. Ah, the 
sighs of this holy turtle-dove could not but reach the 
heart of her God, who loved her so much : “ The 
voice of the turtle is heard in our land.” Wherefore 
not being willing to defer any longer consolation to 
his beloved, behold, he graciously hears her desire 
and calls her to his kingdom. 

Cedrenus,J; Nicephorus,§ and Metaphrastes,|| relate, 
that the Lord, some days before her death, sent to her 
the angel Gabriel, the same who once announced to 

* Quis dabit mihi pennas sicut columbae, et volabo et requies- 
cam ? Psal. liv. 7. 

+ Quemadmodum desiderat cervus ad fontes aquarum, ita de- 
siderat anima mea ad te, Deus. Psal. xli. 2. 

t Comp. Hist. § L. 2, c. 21. || Orat. de Dorm. Mar. 


GLORIES OF MART. 485 

her that she was the blessed woman chosen to be the 
mother of God : My Lady and Queen, said the an- 
gel to her, God has already graciously heard thy 
holy desires, and he has sent me to tell thee to pre- 
pare to leave the earth, for he wishes thee with him 
in paradise. Come then, to take possession of thy 
kingdom, for I and all its holy citizens await and de- 
sire thee. At this happy annunciation what should 
our most humble and holy Virgin do but conceal her- 
self more deeply in the centre of her most profound 
humility, and reply in those same words with which 
she answered St. Gabriel when he announced to her 
that she was to become mother of God : Behold the 
handmaid of the Lord : “ Ecce ancilla Domini ?” 
Behold, she again answered, the servant of the Lord ; 
he in his pure goodness has chosen me and made me 
his mother ; now he calls me to paradise. I neither 
merited the one nor the other honor; but since he 
wishes to manifest his infinite liberality towards me, I 
am ready to go where he wishes. “ Behold the hand- 
maid of the Lord may the will of my God and Lord 
always be fulfilled in me. 

After receiving this precious intelligence, she im- 
parted it to St. John, and we may imagine with what 
grief and tender emotion he heard this news ; he who 
for so many years had been near her as a son, and had 
enjoyed the celestial conversation of this most holy 
mother. She then visited anew the holy places of 
Jerusalem, tenderly taking leave of them, especially 
of Calvary, where her beloved Son had died. And 

41 * 


486 


GLORIES OF MART. 


then she returned to her poor dwelling to prepare for 
death. During this time the angels did not cease to 
come and visit this their beloved queen, consoling 
themselves with the thought that they should soon see 
her crowned in heaven. Many authors assert,* that 
before she died, by a divine miracle, the apostles and 
also some of the disciples came from the different 
places where they were dispersed, and all assembled in 
the apartment of Mary, and that when she saw all these 
her dear children united together in her presence, she 
thus addressed them: My dear children, for love of 
you, and to help you, my Son left me on this earth. 
But now the holy faith is spread throughout the 
world, already the fruit of the divine seed is grown 
up ; hence my divine Son, seeing that my assistance 
was no longer needed upon the earth, and compas- 
sionating me for the pain of separation, has graciously 
heard my desire to depart from this life, and go to 
see him in glory. If I leave you, my heart does not 
leave you ; I will carry with me the great love I bear 
you, and it shall always remain with me. I am going 
to paradise to pray for you. At these sad tidings, 
who can realize how great were the tears and lamen- 
tations of these holy disciples, knowing that they 
were shortly to be separated from their mother ? 
Then, they all in tears exclaimed, then, oh Mary, 
thou wilt leave us ! It is true that this earth is not 
a worthy, and fit place for thee, and that we are not 

* S. Andr. Cret. Or. de Dorm. Deip., Damasc. de Dorm. Deip., 
Euthim. 1. 3, Hist. c. 40. 


GLORIES OF MART. 


487 


worthy to enjoy the society of a mother of God ; but 
remember that thou art our mother ; thou hast until 
now enlightened us in our doubts, consoled our sor- 
rows, strengthened us in persecutions, and how canst 
thou now abandon us, leaving us alone without thy 
comfort in the midst of so many enemies and so many 
conflicts ? We have already lost on earth Jesus, our 
Master and our Father, who has ascended into heaven ; 
we have since been consoled by thee, our mother ; and 
now how canst thou leave us orphans, without father 
or mother ? Oh remain with us, oh our Lady ! or 
take us with thee. Thus writes St. John Damascene.* 
“ No, my children (thus sweetly the loving queen 
began to speak) this is not according to the will of 
God ; content yourselves to do what he has appointed 
for you and for me. To you it yet remains to labor 
on the earth for the glory of your Redeemer, and to 
perfect your eternal crown. I do not leave you to 
abandon you, but to help you more by my interces- 
sion with God in heaven. Be satisfied. I commend 
to you the holy Church ; I commend to you the souls 
redeemed by my Son ; let this be my last farewell, 
and the only remembrance that I leave you. If you 
love me, labor for souls, and for the glory of my Son ; 
for we shall one day meet again in paradise, never 
more to separate throughout eternity.’ , 

Then she begged them to give burial to her body 
after death, blessed them, and directed St. John, as 


* Orat. de Ass. Virg. 


488 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


Damascene relates,* that after her death he should 
give her two garments to two virgins who had served 
her for some time, and then she decently composed 
herself upon her poor little bed, where she laid 
herself to await death, and with death the meet- 
ing with her divine spouse, who shortly was to come 
and take her with him to the kingdom of the 
blessed. Behold, she already feels in her heart a great 
joy, the forerunner of the coming of the spouse, 
which overwhelms her with a great and new sweet- 
ness. The holy apostles, seeing that Mary already 
was about to depart from this earth, burst forth into 
fresh weeping, and knelt around her bed : some kissed 
her holy feet, others asked her special blessing, one 
recommended to her some particular necessity of his, 
and all wept bitterly, for their hearts were pierced 
■with grief at being obliged to separate forever in this 
life from their beloved Lady. And she, their most 
loving mother, compassionated all, consoled all, prom- 
ising to some her protection, blessing others with pecu- 
liar affection, and encouraging others to labor for 
the conversion of the world ; especially did she call 
St. Peter to her, and as head of the Church, and 
vicar of her Son, she recommended to him in particu- 
lar the propagation of the faith, promising him her 
special protection from heaven. But in a very special 
manner did she call to her St. John, who felt a greater 
sorrow than all the others at the moment of separa- 

* Nicephorus and Metaphrastes, appr. Hst. di Mar. del P. 
F. Gius. e M. 1. 5, 13. 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


489 


tion from that holy mother ; and the most grateful 
Lady, calling to mind the affection and attention with 
which this holy disciple had served her through all 
the years they had passed on earth since the death 
of her Son, said to him with gi^at tenderness : My 
John, I thank thee for all the assistance thou hast 
afforded me ; my son, be certain that I never will be 
ungrateful to thee for it. If I leave thee now, I am 
going to pray for thee. Remain in peace in this life 
until we meet in heaven, where I will await thee. 
Do not forget me ; in all thy necessities call me to thy 
aid, for I never will forget thee, my beloved son. My 
son, I bless thee, I leave thee my benediction ; rest in 
peace — adieu. 

But the death of Mary draws near. The divine 
love, with its blessed and ardent flames, having almost 
entirely consumed the vital spirits, the celestial phoe- 
nix is going to lose her life in the midst of this fire. 
Then the hosts of angels come to meet her, as if to be 
ready for the great triumph with which they were to 
accompany her to paradise. Mary was indeed con- 
soled at the sight of these holy spirits ; but not fully 
consoled, for she did hot yet see her beloved Jesus,- 
who was the whole love of her heart. Hence she 
often repeated to the angels who descended to salute 
her: “I adjure you, oh daughters of Jerusalem, if 
you find my beloved, that you tell him that I languish 
with love.”* Oh holy angels ! oh blessed citizens of 

* Adjuro vos, filise Jerusalem, si inveneritis dilectum nieum, 
ut nuntietis ei, quia amore langueo. Cant. v. 8. 


490 


GLORIES OF M -A R Y . 


the heavenly Jerusalem! ye come in hosts kindly to 
console me, and ye all console me with your sweet 
presence ; I thank you, but ye all do not fully satisfy 
me, for I do not yet see my Son coming to console 
me. Go, if you lo* r e me, return to paradise, and tell 
my beloved, from me, that I languish and faint for his 
love. Tell him to come, and come quickly, for I am 
dying with my desire to see him. 

But behold, Jesus himself comes to take his mother 
to the kingdom of the blessed. It was revealed to 
St. Elizabeth, that the Son appeared to Mary before 
she expired, with the cross in his hand, to show the 
special glory he had obtained from the redemption, 
having by his death made the acquisition of this great 
creature, who through the ages of eternity was to 
honor him more than all men and all angels. St. John 
of Damascus relates, that he gave to her the viaticum, 
saying to her, tenderly: Take, oh my mother, from 
my hands, that same body which thou hast given me. 
And the mother having received with the greatest love 
that final communion, with her last sighs said to him : 
My Son, into thy hands I commend my spirit; I 
•recommend to thee this soul that thou, in thy good- 
ness, didst create even from the beginning, rich in so 
many graces, and by a peculiar privilege hast preserved 
from every stain of sin. I commend to thee my body, 
from which thou hast deigned to take flesh and blood. 
I commend to thee, also, these my dear children 
(speaking of the holy disciples who were around her) ; 
they are afflicted at my departure ; do thou console 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


491 


them, who lovest them more than I do ; bless them, 
and give them strength to do great things for thy 
glory* 

The end of the life of Mary having now arrived, 
there was heard, as St. Jerome relates, in the apart- 
ment where she lay, a great harmony ; and also, as it 
was revealed to St. Bridget, a great brightness was 
seen. * By this harmony and imusual splendor the 
holy Apostles perceived that Mary was then depart- 
ing, at which they broke forth again in tears and 
prayers, and raising their hands, with one voice ex- 
claimed: Oh, our mother, now thou art going to 
heaven, and art leaving us, give us thy last benedic- 
tion, and do not forget us in our misery. And Mary, 
turning her eyes around upon them all, as if bidding 
them for the last time farewell, said: Adieu, my 
children : I bless you ; do not fear that I shall forget 
you. And now death came, not indeed clothed with 
mourning and sadness, as it comes to others, but 
adorned with light and joy. But why death, why 
death? Rather should we say that divine love came 
to cut the thread of that noble life. And as a lamp 
before going out, her life, amid these last flickerings, 
flashed forth more brightly, and then expired. Thus, 
this beautiful soul, her Son inviting her to follow 
him, wrapped in the flame of her charity, and in 
the midst of her amorous sighs, breathed forth a 
greater sigh of love, expired and died ; and thus that 
great soul, that beautiful dove of our Lord, was re- 
* App. S. gio. Dam. or. de Ass. V. 


492 


GLORIES OF MART. 


leased from the bonds of this life, and entered into the 
glory of the blessed, where she sits, and will sit, as 
queen of paradise, for all eternity. 

Now Mary has left the earth, now she is in heaven. 
From thence this kind mother looks down upon us, 
who are still in this valley of tears, compassionates us, 
and promises us her support if we wish for it. Let 
us pray her always that by the merits of her blessed 
death she may obtain for us a happy death ; and if it 
please God, that she may obtain for us to die on a 
Saturday, which is dedicated to her honor, or on a 
day of the No vena, or of the octave of some of her 
feasts, as she has obtained for so many of her ser- 
vants, and especially for St. Stanislas Kostka, for 
whom she obtained to die on the day of her glorious 
Assumption, as Father Bartoli relates in his life of the 
saint.'* 


EXAMPLE. 

During the lifetime of this holy youth, who was 
wholly devoted to the love of Mary, it happened that 
on the first day of August, he heard a sermon of 
Father Peter Canisius, in which, preaching to the 
novices of his society, he fervently urged upon all, the 
important advice, to live every day as if it might be 
the last of their life, after which they were to be pre- 
sented at the divine tribunal. The sermon beino* fin- 
ished, St. Stanislas told his companions that this coun- 
sel had been for him especially the voice of God, for 
* Lib. 1, cap. 1, 2. 


GLORIES OF MARY. 493 

that he was to die on that very month. He said this 
either because God had expressly revealed it to him, 
or at least because he gave him a certain internal pre- 
sentiment of what afterwards happened. Four days 
after, the blessed youth went with Father Emmanuel 
to St. Mary Major, and beginning to speak of the ap- 
proaching festival of the Assumption, he said : “ Father, 
I believe that on that day there is seen in paradise a 
new paradise, the glory being seen there of the mother 
of God crowned queen of heaven, and seated so 
near the Lord above all the choirs of angels. And if 
it is true that every year, as I believe it to be certain, 
this festival is renewed in heaven, I hope to see the 
next one.” . The glorious martyr St. Lawrence, having 
fallen to the saint by lot as his monthly patron, ac- 
cording to the custom of that society, it is said that he 
wrote a letter to his mother Mary, in which he prayed 
her to obtain for him that he might be a spectator of 
this festival of hers in paradise. On St. Lawrence’s day 
he received communion, and after it supplicated the 
saint to present that letter to the divine mother, by 
interposing his intercession that the most holy Mary 
might graciously hear his prayer. At the close of this 
very day a fever came upon him, and although it was 
very light, he, however, from that hour esteemed it for 
certain that he had obtained the favor asked for him, 
namely, an early death. Indeed, on going to bed he 
said joyfully, with a smiling countenance : “ From this 
bed I shall never arise.” And speaking to Father 
Claudius Aquaviva, he added: “I believe that St. 

42 


494 GLORIES OF MART. 

Lawrence has already obtained for me the grace from 
Mary that I should be in heaven on the festival of her 
Assumption.” But no one thought much of these his 
words. The vigil having arrived, his malady con- 
tinued to appear light, but the saint told a brother 
that he should die the next night, and the brother 
answered : “ Oh, brother, it would be a greater mira- 
cle to die of so slight an illness, than to be cured.” 
But, behold, after noon he fell into a deadly swoon, 
and then came a cold sweat, and he entirely lost his 
strength. The superior hastened to him, and Stanis- 
las prayed him to order him to be placed on the bare 
floor, that he might die as a penitent, which was granted 
in order to satisfy him, and he was laid on the floor on 
a mattress. Then he made his confession, received 
the viaticum, not without the tears of all present, for 
when the divine sacrament was brought into the apart- 
ment, his eyes kindled with celestial joy, and his 
whole countenance was radiant with holy love, so 
that he seemed a seraph. He also received extreme 
unction, and meamvhile did nothing but now raise his 
eyes to heaven, now look upon, kiss, and lovingly 
press to his breast, an image of Mary. A father said 
to him: “Of what use is it to wear that rosary 
around your hand, if you cannot recite it?” He 
answered : “ It serves to console me, for it is something 

O 

belonging to my mother.” “ Oh, how much more,” 
said the Father, “ will you be consoled by seeing her, 
and kissing, in a short time, her hands in heaven !” 
Then the saint, with his countenance all on fire, raised 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


495 


his hands, thus to express his desire of finding himself 
soon in her presence. Then his dear mother appeared 
to him, as he himself declared to those around him, 
and soon after, at the dawn of day on the fifteenth of 
August, he expired as a saint, his eyes fixed on heaven, 
without a motion, so that not until afterwards, when 
the image of the most holy Virgin was presented, and 
he made no movement towards it, it* was perceived 
that he had already gone to kiss in paradise the feet 
of his beloved queen. 


PHATER. 

Oh, our most sweet Lady and Mother, thou hast 
already left the earth, and hast reached thy kingdom, 
where thou sittest as queen over all the choirs of 
angels, as the holy Church sings: She was exalted 
above the choirs of angels in the celestial kingdoms : 
“Exaltata est super choros angelorum ad coelestia 
regna.” We know that we sinners are not worthy 
of having thee with us in this valley of darkness. 
But we know also, that thou in thy grandeur hast 
never forgotten us in our misery, and by being exalted 
to such glory hast never lost compassion for us poor 
children of Adam, but rather that it is increased in thee. 
From the high throne then, where thou dost reign, 
turn, oh Mary, even upon us, thy pitying eyes, and 
take compassion upon us. Remember, too, that on 
leaving this world, thou didst promise not to forget 
us. Look upon us and succor us. See in what tem- 
pests and in how many dangers we are, and always 


496 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


shall be, till the end of our life arrives. By the merits 
of thy holy death, obtain for us holy perseverance in 
the divine friendship, that we may finally depart from 
this life in the grace of God, and thus come one day 
to kiss thy feet in paradise, and unite ourselves with 
the blessed spirits in praising thee, and singing thy 
glories, as thou dost merit. Amen. 


DISCOURSE VIII. 

ANOTHER DISCOURSE ON THE ASSUMPTION OF MARY. 

ls£. Homo glorious was the triumph of Mary when she ascended 
to heaven ! 2 d. How exalted was the throne to which she 

was raised in heaven ! 

It would seem just that the holy Church, on this 
day of the Assumption of Mary to heaven, should 
rather invite us to weep than to rejoice, since our sweet 
mother has quitted this earth, and left us bereft of her 
sweet presence, as St. Bernard says : It seems that we 
should rather weep than exult : “ Plangendum nobis, 
quam plaudendum magis esse videtur.”* But no, the 
holy Church invites us to rejoice : “ Let us all rejoice 
in the Lord, celebrating a festival in honor of the 
blessed Virgin Mary/’f And justly, if we love this 

* Scrra. 1, de Ass. 

t Gaudeamus omnes in Domino diem festum celebrantes sub 
honore B. Maries Virginis. 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


497 


our mother, we ought to congratulate ourselves more 
upon her glory than upon our own particular consola- 
tion. What son does not rejoice, although separated 
from his mother, if he knows that she is going to take 
possession of a kingdom ? Mary, to-day, is to be 
crowned queen of heaven, and shall we not make a 
feast and rejoice if we truly love her ? Let us all re- 
joice, let us rejoice : “ Gaudeamus omnes, et gaudea- 
mus.” And that we may be consoled the more by 
her exaltation, let us consider, in the first place, how 
glorious was the triumph of Mary ascending to heaven ; 
secondly, how exalted was the throne to which she was 
elevated in heaven. 

First Point . — After Jesus Christ our Saviour had 
completed the work of our redemption by his death, 
the angels earnestly desired to have him with them in 
their heavenly country ; hence they were continually 
supplicating him, repeating the words of David : 
“Arise, oh Lord, into thy resting-place, thou and the 
ark which thou hast sanctified.”* Come, oh Lord, 
now that thou hast redeemed men, come to thy king- 
dom with us, and bring with thee also the living ark 
of thy sanctification, namely, thy mother, who was 
the ark sanctified by thee when thou didst inhabit 
her womb. Thus St. Bernardine puts it into the 
mouth of the angels to say : Let thy most holy 
mother Mary also ascend, sanctified by thy concep- 


* Surge, Domine, in requiem tuam, tu et area sanctificationia 
tuae. Psal. cxxxi. 8. 


42 * 


498 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


tion.* * * § At length, then, our Lord wished to satisfy 
this desire of those citizens of the heavenly country, 
by calling Mary to paradise. But, if he wished that 
the ark of the covenant should be conducted with 
great pomp into the city of David— And David and 
all the house of Israel brought the ark of the cove- 
nant of the Lord with joyful shouting, and with sound 
of trumpetf — with far more splendid and glorious 
pomp he ordained that his mother should enter 
into heaven. The prophet Elias was carried up to 
heaven in a chariot of fire, which, according to the 
interpreters, was but a company of angels who raised 
him from the earth. But to conduct thee into heaven, 
oh mother of God, as Rupert the Abbot says, a com- 
pany of angels was not enough, but the King of 
heaven himself, with all his celestial court, came to 
accompany thee.]; 

St. Bernardine of Sienna is of the same opinion, 
namely: that Jesus Christ, in order to honor the 
triumph of Mary, came himself from paradise to 
meet and accompany her.§ And precisely for this 
object it was, says St. Anselm, that the Redeemer 
wished to ascend before his mother, not only to 

* Ascendat etiam Maria tua sanctissima mater, tui concep- 
tione sanctificata. Serm. de Ass. 

t Et David et omnis domus Israel ducebant arcam testamenti 
Domini in jubilo, et clangore buccinae. 2 Reg. vi. 15. 

X Ad transferendum te in coelum non unus tantum currus 
igneus, sed totus cum rege suo filio tuo venit, atque occurrit 
exercitus angelorum. 

§ Surrexit gloriosus Jesus in occursum suae dulcissimae matris. 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


499 


prepare for her a throne in that palace, but also to 
render her entrance into heaven more glorious, by ac- 
companying her himself, with all the blessed spir- 
its.'* Hence St. Peter Damian, contemplating the 
splendor of this assumption of Maiy into heaven, 
says that we shall find it more glorious than the 
ascension of Jesus Christ; for the angels only came 
to meet the Redeemer, but the blessed Virgin went 
to glory met and accompanied by the Lord of glory 
himself, and by all the blessed company of saints 
and angels.f Hence Guerric the Abbot represents 
the divine Word speaking thus: I descended from 
heaven upon earth to give glory to my Father; but 
afterwards, to pay honor to my mother, I ascended 
again into heaven, that I might thus be enabled to 
come to meet her, and accompany her by my pres- 
ence to paradise.^ 

Let us now consider how the Saviour really did 
come from heaven to meet his mother, and at the 
first interview said, to console her: “Arise, make 


* Prudentiore consilio illarn prsecedere volebas, quatenus in 
regno tuo ei locum praeparares, et sic comitatus tota curia tua 
festivus ei occurrens sublimius, sicut decebat, tuam matrem ad 
te exaltares. Vid. de Exc. Virg. cap. 8. 

t Invenies occursum ejus pompae digniorem, quam in Christi 
ascensione ; soli quippe angeli redemptori occurrere potuerunt, 
matri vero filius ipse cum tota curia tarn angelorum quam sanc- 
torum occurrens, auxit ad beatse consistorium sessionis. Serm. 
de Ass. 

% Ego ut patrem bonorarem, ad terram descendi ; ut matrem 
honorarem, ad coelum reascendi. 


500 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


haste, my love, my dove, my beautiful one, and 
come ; for winter is now past . . . and gone.”'" Come, 
my dear mother, my beautiful and pure dove, leave 
that valley of tears where thou hast suffered so much 
for my love ; come from Libanus, my spouse, come 
from Libanus, come, thou shalt be crowned.f Come 
with soul and body, to enjoy the reward of thy holy 
life. If thou hast suffered much upon earth, far 
greater is the glory, that I have prepared for thee in 
heaven. Come there to sit near me ; come to receive 
the crown that I will give thee as queen of the uni- 
verse. Now, behold, Mary leaves the earth, and 
calling to mind the many graces she had there re- 
ceived from her Lord, she looks at it at the same time 
both with affection and compassion, leaving in it so 
many poor children, in the midst of so many miseries 
and dangers. And now Jesus offers her his hand, 
and the blessed mother rises in the air and passes be- 
yond the clouds and spheres. Behold her now ar- 
rived at the gates of heaven. When monarchs make 
their entrance to take possession of their kingdom, they 
do not pass through the gates of the city, for either 
these are taken off entirely, or they pass over them. 
Hence the angels, when Jesus Christ entered paradise, 
cried: “Lift up your gates, 0 ye princes, and be ye 
lifted up, 0 eternal gates; and the King of glory 

* Surge, propera, arnica mea, columba mea, et veni. Jam 
byems transiit, imber abiitetrecessit. Cant. ii. 10, 11. 

,t Veni de Libano, sponsa mea, veni de Libano; veni corona- 
beris. Cant. iv. 8. 


GLORIES OF MART. 


501 


shall enter in.”* Thus, also, now that Mary is going 
to take possession of the kingdom of the heavens, the 
angels who accompany her cry to the others who are 
within : “ Lift up your gates, ye princes, and be ye 
lifted up, 0 eternal gates, and the queen of glory 
shall enter in.”f 

And now Mary enters into the blessed country. 
But on her entrance, the celestial spirits seeing her so 
beautiful and glorious, ask of those who are without, as 
Origen describes it, and exclaim, all rejoicing in heaven 
in one (voice) : “ Who is this that cometh up from 
the desert, flowing with delights, leaning upon her 
beloved ?”+ And who is this creature so beautiful, 
that comes from the desert of the earth, a place full 
of thorns and tribulation? But this one comes so 
pure and so rich in virtue, supported by her beloved 
Lord, who deigns to accompany her with so great honor. 
Who is she? The angels who accompany her an- 
swer : This is the mother of our King, she is our queen, 
and the blessed one among women, full of grace, the 
saint of saints, the beloved of God, the immaculate, 
the dove, the most beautiful of all creatures. And 
then all those blessed spirits begin to bless and praise 
her, singing, with more reason than the Hebrews said 

* Attollite portas principes vestras, et elevamini portae eter- 
nales, et introibit rex glorias. Psal. xxiii. 7. 

t Attollite portas, principes, vestras, et elevamini portas eter- 
nales, et introibit regina gloriae. 

X Una omnium in coelo erat loetantium (vox): Quae est ista 
quae aseendit de deserto deliciis affluens, innixa super dilectum 
suum ? Cant. viii. 5. 


502 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


to Judith: “Thou art the glory of Jerusalem, thou 
art the joy of Israel, thou art the honor of our peo- 
ple.”* Ah ! our Lady and our queen, then thou art 
the glory of paradise, the joy of our country, thou 
art the honor of us all ; be ever welcome, be ever 
blessed ; behold thy kingdom, behold us, we are all 
thy servants, ready for thy commands. 

Then all the saints who were at that time in para- 
dise came to welcome her and salute her as their 
queen. All the holy virgins came : They saw her, 

and declared her most blessed and they praised 

her.f We, they said, oh most blessed Lady, are also 
queens of this kingdom, but thou art our queen ; for 
thou wast the first to give us the great example of 
consecrating our virginity to Qod ; we all bless and 
thank thee for it. Then came the holy confessors to 
salute her as their mistress, who had taught them so 
many beautiful virtues by her holy life. The holy 
martyrs came also to salute her as their queen, be- 
cause by her great constancy in the sorrows of the 
passion of her Son, she had taught them, and also 
obtained for them by her merits, strength to give 
their life for the faith. St. J ames came also, the only 
one of the apostles who was then in paradise, to thank 
her in the name of all the other apostles, for the great 
comfort and support she had given them while she 

* Tu gloria Jerusalem, tu laetitia Israel, tu lionorificentia po- 
puli nostri. Jud. xv. 10. 

t Viderunt earn filiae, et beatissimam praedicaverunt, . . . . et 
laudaverunt earn. Cant. vi. 8. 


GLORIES OF MART. 


503 


was upon earth. The prophets next came to salute 
her, and they said to her : Ah, Lady, thou wast fore- 
shadowed in our prophecies. The holy patriarchs 
came and said to her : Oh Mary, thou hast been our 
hope, so much and so long sighed for by us. And 
among those came our first parents, Adam and Eve, to 
thank her with greater affection. Ah, beloved daughter, 
they said to her, thou hast repaired the injury done by 
us to the human race; thou hast obtained for the 
world that blessing lost by us, on account of our crime ; 
by thee we are saved, and for it be forever blessed. 

Then came holy Simeon to kiss her feet, and with 
joy reminded her of that day on which he received 
from her hands the infant Jesus. St. Zachary and 
St. Elizabeth also came, and thanked her again for 
that loving visit, that with so much humility and 
charity she made them in their dwelling, and through 
which they received so many treasures of grace. St. 
John the Baptist came with greater affection to thank 
her for having sanctified him by means of her voice. 
But what could her parents, St. Joachim and St. 
Anna, say to her, when they came to salute her? 
Oh God ! with what tenderness must they have 
blessed her, saying : Ah ! beloved daughter, what 
happiness was ours in having such a child ! Ah ! be 
thou our queen now, because thou art the mother of our 
God ; as such we salute thee and adore thee. But 
who can comprehend the affection with which her 
dear spouse St. Joseph came to salute her? Who 
can describe the joy that the holy patriarch experi- 


504 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


enced at seeing his spouse arrive in heaven with so 
much triumph, made queen of all paradise ? With 
what tenderness did he say to her: Ah! my Lady 
and spouse, how shall I ever be able to thank our 
God as I ought for having made me thy spouse, thou 
who art his true mother ? Through thee I merited 
on earth to attend upon the childhood of the incarnate 
Word, to bear him so often in my arms, and receive 
from him so many special favors. Blessed be the 
moments that I spent in life serving Jesus and thee, 
my holy spouse. Behold our Jesus ; let us console 
ourselves that now he is no more lying in a stable 
upon hay, as we saw him at his birth in Bethlehem ; 
he does not now live poor and despised in a shop, as 
once he lived with us in Nazareth ; he is not now 
nailed to a shameful cross, as when he died for the 
salvation of the world in Jerusalem ; but he sits at the 
right hand of the Father, as king and Lord of heaven 
and of earth. And now, oh my queen, we shall never 
more depart from his holy feet, where we shall bless 
and love him eternally. 

Then all the angels came to salute her, and she, the 
great queen, thanked all for the assistance they had 
given her on earth, especially thanking the Archangel 
St. Gabriel, who was the happy ambassador of all her 
glories, when he came to announce to her that she 
was to be made mother of God. Then the humble 
and holy Virgin, kneeling, adores the divine majesty, 
and, wholly lost in the consciousness of her nothing- 
ness, thanks him for all the graces bestowed upon her 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


505 


solely by his goodness, and especially for having made 
her mother of the eternal Word. Let those who can, 
comprehend with what love the most holy Trinity 
blessed her. Let them comprehend what a welcome 
the eternal Father gave to his daughter, the Son to 
his mother, the Holy Spirit to his spouse. The Father 
crowns her by sharing with her his power, the Son 
his wisdom, the Holy Spirit his love. And all the 
three divine persons establishing her throne at the 
right hand of Jesus, declare her universal queen of 
heaven and of earth, and command angels and all 
creatures to recognize her for their queen, and as 
queen to serve and obey her. And here we pass on 
to the consideration of how exalted was this throne to 
which Mary was elevated in heaven. 

Second Point . — If the human mind, says St. Ber- 
nard, cannot attain to comprehend the immense glory 
which God has prepared in heaven for those who have 
loved him on earth, as the apostle declares, who will 
ever attain to comprehend what he has prepared for 
her who bore him ? “ Quid praeparavit gignenti se” ? 
What glory did he prepare for his beloved mother, he 
who on earth loved her more than all men ; who, even 
from the first moment of her creation, loved her more 
than all men and angels united ! Justly, then, does 
the holy Church sing that Mary having loved God 
more than all the angels, she has been exalted above 
all the angels in heaven.* Yes, she was exalted, says 

* Exaltata est saneta Dei genitrix super choros angelorum ad 
ccelestia regna. In Fest. Ass. 


43 


506 GLORIES OF MARY. 

William the Abbot, above the angels, so that she sees 
no one above her but her Son, who is the only begot- 
ten Son of God.* 

Hence the learned Gerson asserts, that all the or- 
ders of angels and of saints being divided into three 
hierarchies, as the angelic Doctor declares, f and St. 
Dionysius also, Mary constitutes in heaven a hierarchy 
of herself, the most sublime of all, and next to God.J 
And as the mistress, St. Antoninus adds, is incom- 
parably above her servants, so is the glory of Mary 
incomparably greater than that of the angels.§ And 
in order to understand this, it is enough to know what 
David said, that this queen was seated at the right 
hand of the Son : The queen stood on thy right hand : 
u Astitit regina a dextris tuis.”|| Which St. Athana- 
sius exactly explained by saying : Mary is placed at 
the right hand of God.^[ 

The works of Mary, as St. Ildephonsus says, cer- 
tainly incomparably surpassed in merit the works of 
all the saints, and therefore the reward and the glory 
she merited cannot be conceived.** And if it is certain 

* Matrem dico exaltatam super choros angelorum, ut nihil 
contempletur super se mater, nisi filium suum. Serin. 4, de Ass. 

t Qusest. 108. 

X Virgo sola constituit hierarchiam secundam sub Deo hie- 
rarcha primo. Sup. Magn. tr. 4. 

§ Virgo est domina angelorum ; ergo et improportionabiliter 
est supra omnem hierarchiam angelorum exaltata. 4, part. tit. 
15, c. 20. 

B Psal. xliv. 10. 

Tf Collocatur Maria a dexteris Dei. De Ass. B. V. 

** Sicut est incomparabile quod gessit, ita et incomprehensi- 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


507 


that God rewards according to merit, as the apostle 
says, “ Who will render to every man according to 
his works it is also certain, says St. Thomas, that 
the Virgin, who excelled in merit all, both men and 
angels, must have been exalted above all the celestial 
orders.f In fine, adds St. Bernard, let us measure 
the singular grace that she acquired on earth, and 
then we may measure the singular glory that she has 
obtained in heaven.]; 

The glory of Mary, remarks a learned author, § which 
was a full glory, a complete glory, is different from 
that which the other saints have in heaven. It is true 
that in heaven all the blessed enjoy a perfect peace 
and full content ; yet it will always be true that no 
one of them enjoys that glory that he could have mer- 
ited if he had loved and served God with greater 
fidelity. Hence, although the saints in heaven desire 
nothing more than what they possess, yet, in fact, 
there is something they could yet desire. It is also 
true that the sins which they have committed, and the 
time which they have lost, do not bring suffering ; but 
it cannot be denied that the most good done in life, in- 
bile preemium, et gloria inter omnes sanctos, quam meruit. 
Serm. de Ass. 

* Reddet unicuique secundum opera ejus. Rom. ii. 6. 

t Sicut habuit meritum omnium, et amplius, ita congruum 
fuit, ut super ‘omnes ponatur ordines coelestes. L. de Sol. 
Sanct. 

X Quantum enim gratiee in terris adepta est, tantum et in 
coelis obtinet glories singularis. 

§ II. P. la Colombiere, Pred. 18, 28. 


508 


GLORIES OF MART. 


nocence preserved and time well employed, give tlie 
greatest content. Mary in heaven desires nothing, and 
has nothing to desire. Who of the saints in paradise, 
says St. Augustine, if asked whether he has committed 
sins, can answer no, except Mary ?* It is certain, as the 
holy Council of Trent has defined, f that Mary never 
committed any sin, not even the least ; not only she has 
never lost divine grace — never bedimmed it, but she 
has never kept it unemployed ; she never did an action 
that was not meritorious ; she never said a word, or 
had a thought, or drew a breath, that was not directed 
to the greatest glory of God ; in a word, she never re- 
laxed or stopped one moment in her onward course to 
God ; she never lost any thing through negligence, for 
she always corresponded with grace with all her power, 
and loved God as much as she could love him. Oh 
Lord, she now says to him in heaven, if I have not 
loved thee as much as thou dost merit, at least I have 
loved thee as much as I could. 

The graces of the saints were different in each, as 
St. Paul said : There are diversities of graces : “ Di- 
visions gratiarum sunt.” So that each of them cor- 
responding with the grace received, has rendered him- 
self excellent in some virtue ; one in saving souls, one in 
leading a life of penance, one in suffering torments, 
one in contemplation ; hence the holy Church, when 
celebrating their festivals, says of each*. And there 
was not found the like to him: “Non est inventus 


* De Nat. et Grat. 1. 7, c. 36. 


t Sess. 6, Can. 13. 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


509 


similis illi.” And as in their merits, so are they in 
heaven different in glory: For star differeth from 
star in glory: “Stella enim a stella differt.”* The 
Apostles differ from the martyrs, confessors from vir- 
gins, the innocents from penitents. The holy Virgin 
being full of all graces, excelled each saint in every 
kind of virtue ; she was the apostle of the apostles ; 
she was queen of the martyrs, for she suffered more 
than all of them ; she was the standard-bearer of the 
virgins, the model of spouses ; she united in herself a 
perfect innocence with a perfect mortification ; in a 
word, she united in her heart all the most heroic vir- 
tues which any saint has ever practised. Hence it 
was said of her: “The queen stood on thy right 
hand in gilded clothing, surrounded with variety ;”f 
for all the graces, privileges, and merits of the other 
saints were found united in Mary, as the Abbot of 
Celles says : The prerogatives of all the saints, oh 
Virgin, thou hast united in thyself. J 

Thus as the splendor of the sun exceeds the splen- 
dor of all the stars united, so, says St. Basil, the glory 
of the divine mother exceeds that of all the blessed. § 
And St. Peter Damian adds, that as the light of the 
stars and of the moon disappears as if they were not,. 

* 1 Cor. xv. 41. 

f Astitit regina a dextris tuis in vestitu deaurato circumdata 
varietate. Psal xliv. 10. 

% Sanctorum omnium privilegia, 0 Virgo, omnia babes in te 
congesta. 

§ Maria universos tantum excedit, quantum sol reliqua astra. 
Or. de An. 


43 * 


510 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


at the rising of the sun, thus Mary so far obscures in 
glory the splendor of men and of angels, that, as it 
were, these do not appear in heaven.* Whence St. 
Bernardine of Sienna agrees with St. Bernard in as- 
serting that the blessed participate in part in the 
divine glory, but that the Virgin, in a certain manner, 
has been so enriched with it, that it seems no creature 
could be more united with God than is Mary.f Which 
is confirmed by the blessed Albertus Magnus, when 
he says that our queen contemplates God very near, 
incomparably more so than all the other celestial 
spirits. J And the above-named St. Bernardine says, 
moreover, that as the other planets are illuminated by 
the sun, so all the blessed receive greater light and 
joy from the sight of Mary.§ And in another place 
he likewise asserts, that the mother of God, ascending 
to heaven, increased the joy of all its inhabitants. |[ 
Hence St. Peter Damian says, that the blessed have 

* Sol ita sibi siderum et luna rapit positionem, ut sint quasi 
non sint. Similiter et Virga J esse utrorumque spirituum habe- 
bat dignitatem, ut in comparatione virginis nec possint appa- 
rere. Serm. de Ass. 

t Divina gloria participatio cateris quodammodo per partes 
datur, sed secundum Bernardum B. Virgo Maria penctravit 
abyssum, ut quantum creatura conditio patitur, illi luci inac- 
cessibili videatur immersa. To. 1, Serm. 61, a. 2, c. 2, 20. 

X Visio virginis matris super omnes creaturas incomparabili- 
ter contemplatur majestatem Dei. De Laud. Virg. c. 69. 

§ Quodammodo sicut catera luminaria illuminantur a sole, 
sic tota coelestis curia a gloriosa virgine latificatur. Loc. cit. art. 
3, c. 3. 

1 Gloriosa virgo cum coelos ascendit, supernorum gaudia ci- 
vium cumulavit. Serm. de Ass. 


GLORIES OF MART. 


511 


no greater glory in heaven, after God, than to enjoy 
the presence of that most beautiful queen : “ Summa 
gloria est post Deum te videre.”* * * § And St. Bonaven- 
ture : Next to God, our greatest glory and our great- 
est joy is from Mary.f 

Let us rejoice, then, with Mary, in the exalted 
throne to which God has elevated her in heaven. 
And let us rejoice also for our own sake, since if our 
mother has ceased to be present with us, by ascending in 
glory to heaven, she has not ceased to be present with 
us in her affection. Nay, being there nearer and 
more united to God, she better knows our miseries, 
and therefore pities them more, and is better able to 
relieve us. And wilt thou, as St. Peter Damian asks, 
oh blessed Virgin, because thou hast been so exalted 
in heaven, be forgetful of us miserable creatures ?J 
No, may God preserve us from the thought ; a heart 
so merciful cannot but pity our miseries which are so 
great.§ If the pity of Mary for us was so great when 
she lived upon earth, much greater, says St. Bonaven- 
ture, is it in heaven, where she reigns. || 

Meanwhile let us dedicate ourselves to the service 

* Serin. 1, de Nat. 

t Post Deum major nostra gloria et majus nostrum gaudium 
ex Maria. 

% Nunquid, 0 beata Virgo, quia ita glorificata es, ideo nostrae 
0 humilitatis oblita es? Serm. 1, de Nat. V. 

§ Absit non convenit tantae misericordue tantae miseries obli- 
visci. 

|| Magna fuit erga miseros misericordia Mariae exulantis in 
mundo, sed multo major estregnantis in coelo. Spec. c. 8. 


512 


GLORIES OF MAEY. 


of this queen, to honor and love her as much as we 
can ; for she is not, as Richard of St. Lawrence says, 
like other rulers, who oppress their vassals with bur- 
dens and taxes, but our queen enriches her servants 
with graces, merits, and rewards.* And let us pray 
her with Guerric the Abbot : Oh mother of mercy, 
thou who sittest so near to God, queen of the world, 
upon a throne so sublime, satiate thyself with the 
glory of thy Jesus, and send to us thy servants the 
fragments that are left. Thou dost now enjoy the 
banquet of the Lord ; we who are still on earth, like 
the dogs under the table, ask thy pity.f 

EXAMPLE. 

Father Silvanus Razzi relates, J that a devout eccle- 
siastic who had a tender love for our Queen Mary, 
had heard her beauty so much extolled that he 
ardently desired once to see his Lady, and with 
humble prayers asked this favor. The kind mother 
sent an angel to tell him that she would gratify him 
by allowing him to see her, but on this condition, 
namely, that after seeing her he should become blind. 
He accepted the condition. On a certain day, behold 
the blessed Virgin appeared to him, and that he might 

* Regina Maria non gravat tributis, sed largitur servis suis 
divitias, dona gratiarum, thesauros meritorum, et magnitudi- 
nem prsemiorum. De Laud. Virg. 1. 6. 

+ 0 mater misericordiae, saturare gloria filii tui, et dimitte 
reliquias parvulis tuis. Tu jam ad mensam Domini nos sub 
mensa catelli. Serm. 4, in Ass. Virg. 

X L. 3, Mirac. B. Virg. 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


513 


not become wholly blind, he at first wished to look at 
her with one eye only ; but afterwards becoming ena- 
mored of the great beauty of Mary, he wished to con- 
template her with both, and then the mother of God dis- 
appeared. Deeply grieved at having lost the presence 
of his queen, he could not cease weeping ; not indeed 
for his lost eye, but that he had not seen her with 
both. Then he began to supplicate her anew, that she 
would again appear to him, and he would be willing 
to lose the other eye and become entirely blind. 
“ Happy and satisfied,” oh my Lady, he said, “ I will 
remain, if I become wholly blind for so good a cause, 
which will leave me more enamored of thee, and of 
thy beauty.” Again Mary was willing to satisfy him, 
and again she consoled him with her presence ; but 
because this loving queen can never injure any one, 
when she appeared to him the second time, not only 
she did not take from him the other eye, but she even 
restored to him the one he had lost. 

PRAYER. 

Oh great, excellent, and most glorious Lady, pros- 
trate at the foot of thy throne, we adore thee from 
this valley of tears. We rejoice at the immense glory 
with which our Lord has enriched thee. Now that 
thou art really queen of heaven and of earth, ah, do 
not forged us thy poor servants. Do not disdain from 
thy lofty throne, from which thou dost reign, to turn 
thy pitying eyes towards us miserable sinners. As 
thou art so near the source of graces, thou art able 


514 


GLORIES OF MARY. 

so much the more to obtain them for us. In heaven 
thou seest more plainly our miseries, and therefore 
thou must pity and relieve us the more. Make us on 
earth thy faithful servants, that we may thus go to 
bless thee in paradise. On this day, when thou hast 
been made queen of the universe, we also consecrate 
ourselves to thy service. In thy great joy console us 
also this day, by accepting us for thy vassals. Thou, 
then, art our mother. Ah, most sweet mother ! most 
amiable mother ! thy altars are surrounded by many 
people who ask of thee, one to be healed of some 
malady, another to be relieved in his necessities, one 
prays thee for a good harvest, and another success in 
some litigation. We ask of thee graces more pleasing 
to thy heart. Obtain for us that we may be humble, 
detached from earth, resigned to the divine will. 
Obtain for us the holy love of God, a good death, 
and paradise. Oh Lady, change us from sinners to 
saints. Perform this miracle that will redound more 
to thy honor, than if thou didst restore sight to a 
thousand blind persons, or raise a thousand from the 
dead. Thou art so powerful with God,, it is enough 
to say that thou art his mother, his most beloved, full 
of his grace ; what can he then deny thee ? Oh most 
lovely queen, we do not pretend to behold thee on the 
earth, but we desire to go and see thee in paradise ; 
thou must obtain this for us. Thus we certainly hope. 
Amen, amen. 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


515 


DISCOURSE IX. 

ON THE DOLORS OF MARY. 


Mary was queen of martyrs, because her martyrdom was longer 
and greater than that of all the martyrs. 

Who can have a heart so hard that it will not melt 
on hearing of a most lamentable event which once 
happened in the world ? There was a noble and holy- 
mother who had but one only Son ; and he was the 
most amiable that could be imagined, innocent, virtu- 
ous, beautiful, and most loving towards his mother; 
so much so, that he never had caused her the least 
displeasure, but always had showed her all respect, 
obedience, and affection. Hence the mother had placed 
on this Son all her earthly affections. Now what 
happened ? It happened that this Son, through envy, 
was falsely accused by his enemies, and the judge, 
although he knew and confessed his innocence, yet, 
that he might not offend his enemies, condemned 
him to an infamous death, precisely as they had re- 
quested him to do. And this poor mother had to 
suffer the affliction of seeing that amiable and beloved 
Son so unjustly taken from her, in the flower of his 
age, by a barbarous death ; for he was made to die 
in torment, drained of his blood before her own eyes, 
in a public place, upon an infamous gibbet. Devout 


516 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


souls, what do you say ? Is this case and this un- 
happy mother worthy of compassion ? Already you 
know of whom I speak. This Son so cruelly slain was 
our loving Redeemer, Jesus, and this mother was the 
blessed Virgin Mary, who, for love of us, was willing 
to see him offered up to the divine justice by the bar- 
barity of men. This great pain, then, which Mary 
suffered for us — a pain which was more than a thou- 
sand deaths — merits our compassion and gratitude. 
And if we can return nothing else for so much love, 
at least let us for a little time to-day stop to consider 
the severity of the suffering by which Mary became 
queen of martyrs ; for her great martyrdom exceeded 
in suffering that of all the martyrs, — being, in the first 
place, the longest martyrdom; and in the second 
place, the greatest martyrdom. 

First Point . — As Jesus is called Kina: of sorrows 
and King of martyrs, because he suffered in his life 
more than all the other martyrs, so is also Mary called, 
with reason, queen of the martyrs, having merited this 
title by suffering the greatest martyrdom that could 
be suffered, next to that of her Son. Hence she was 
justly named by Richard of St. Laurence, the martyr 
of martyrs : “ Martyr martyrum.” And to her may 
be applied what Isaias said : He will crown thee with 
the crown of tribulation: “Coronans coronabit te 
tribulatione.”* F or that suffering itself which exceeded 
the suffering of all the other martyrs united, was the 


Cap. xxii. 18. 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


517 


crown by which she was shown to be the queen of 
martyrs. That Mary was a true martyr cannot be 
doubted, as is proved by the Carthusian, Pelbart, 
Catharinus, and others ; for it is an established opinion 
that suffering sufficient to cause death, constitutes 
martyrdom, although death may not then take place. 
St. J ohn the Evangelist is revered as a martyr, although 
he did not die in the caldron of boiling oil, but came 
out more sound than he went in : “ Vegetior exiverit 
quam intraverit.”'* It is sufficient to procure the 
glory of martyrdom, says St. Thomas, that any one 
should be obedient even to offer himself to death.f 
Mafy was a martyr, says St. Bernard, not by the 
sword of the executioner, but by the bitter sorrow of 
her heart.]; If her body was not wounded by the hand 
of the executioner, yet her blessed heart was pierced 
by grief at the passion of her Son ; a grief sufficient 
to cause her not only one, but a thousand deaths. 
And from this we shall see that Mary was not only a 
true martyr, but that her martyrdom surpassed that 
of all the other martyrs, for it was a longer martyr- 
dom, and, if I may thus express it, all her life was a 
long death. 

The passion of Jesus commenced with his birth, as 


* Brev. Rom. 6, Maj. 

f Martyrium amplectitur id quod in obedientia summum esse 
potest, ut scilicet aliquis sit obediens usque ad mortem. 2, 2, 
q. 134, a. 3, ad 3. 

% Non ferro earnificis, sed acerbo doiore cordis. Ap. Baldi. 
tom. 1, p. 146. 


44 


518 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


St. Bernard says ;* * * § and Mary also, in all things like 
unto her Son, suffered her martyrdom through her 
whole life. The name of Mary, among its other sig- 
nifications, as the blessed Albertus Magnus affirms, 
signifies a bitter sea: “Mare amarum.” Wherefore 
to her is applied the passage of Jeremias : Great as 
the sea is thy destruction : “ Magna est enim velut 
mare contritio tua.”f For as the sea is all salt and 
bitter, thus the life of Mary was always full of bitter- 
ness at the sight of the passion of the Redeemer, which 
was ever present to her. It cannot be doubted that 
being more enlightened by the Holy Spirit than all 
the prophets, she better comprehended than they the 
predictions concerning the Messias, which they re- 
corded in their holy Scriptures. Precisely this the 
angel revealed to St. Bridget.]; Whence, as the same 
angel declared, the Virgin knowing how much the in- 
carnate Word was to suffer for the salvation of men, 
even before she became his mother, and compassion- 
ating this innocent Saviour, who was to be so cruelly 
put to death for crimes not his own, she commenced, 
from that time, her great martyrdom.§ 

* A nativitatis exordio, passio crucis simul exorta. Serm. 2, 
de Pass. 

+ Thr. ii. 13. 

X Proculdubio est credendum, quod ipsa ex inspiratione Spiri- 
tus Sancti perfectius intellexit quicquid Proplietarum eloquia 
figurabant. Serm. An g. c. 17. 

§ Ex Scripturis Deum incarnari intelligens, et quod tam di- 
versis poenis de beret crueiari, tribulationem non modicam susti- 
nuit. Serm. Ang. c. 16. 


GLORIES OF MART. 


519 


Her grief afterwards increased immeasurably when 
she was made mother of this Saviour. So that at 
the painful thought of all the sufferings which her 
poor Son was to endure, she indeed experienced, says 
Rupert the Abbot, a long martyrdom — a martyrdom 
continued through her whole life.* And exactly this 
was signified by the vision which St. Bridget had at 
Rome, in the church of St. Mary Major, where the 
blessed Virgin appeared to her with St. Simeon, and 
an angel, having a sword which was very long and red 
with blood ; by which was prefigured the long and 
bitter grief that pierced the heart of Mary during her 
whole life.f Whence the above-named Rupert puts 
into the mouth of Mary the following words : Oh 
redeemed souls and my beloved children, do not pity 
me only for that hour in which I saw my dear Jesus 
dying in my presence, for the sword of sorrow, pre- 
dicted to me by Simeon, pierced my soul during my 
whole life ; when I was giving suck to my Son, when 
I was warming him in my arms, I already saw the 
bitter death that awaited him; consider then what 
long and cruel sorrows I must have endured.^ 

Wherefore Mary might truly say in the words of 

* Tu longum prsescia futures passionis filii tui, pertulisti mar- 
tryinra. In Cant. c. 4. 

f Rev. 1. 7, c. 2. 

% Nolite solam attendere liorarn illam qua dilectum meum vidi 
mori; natn Simeonis gladius, antequam pertransiret, longum 
per me transitum fecit. Cum igitur eum lactarem, foverein et 
prospicerem ejus mortem, quam prolixamme putatis pertulisse 
passionem ? Loc. cit. 


520 


GLOEIES OF MAEY. 


David : My life is wasted with grief and niy years in 
sighs.* * * § My sorrow is continually before me : “ Dolor 
meus in conspectu meo semper.”f My life was wholly 
passed in grief and tears ; for my grief, which was 
compassion for my beloved Son, never departed from 
before my eyes, seeing, as I did, continually the suffer- 
ings and death that he was one day to endure. The 
divine mother herself revealed to St. Bridget, that 
even after the death and ascension of her Son into 
heaven, the memory of his passion, whether she ate or 
worked, was deeply impressed and ever recent in her 
tender heart.J Taulerus therefore says, that Mary 
passed her whole life in perpetual sorrow; for her 
heart was always occupied with thoughts of sadness 
and of suffering^ 

So that time, which usually mitigates the sorrows 
of the afflicted, did not relieve Mary ; nay, time itself 
increased her sorrow, for as Jesus increased in years, 
on the one hand, he continually showed himself more 
lovely and amiable ; and on the other, the time of his 
death was ever drawing nearer, and grief at having to 
lose him on this earth, continually increased in the 
heart of Mary. As the rose grows up among thorns, 

* Defecit in dolore vita mea, et anni mei in gemitibus. Psal. 
xxx. 11. 

+ Psal. xxxvii. 18. 

X Tempore quo post ascensionem filii mei vixi, passio sua in 
corde meo fixa erat, ut sive comedebam, sive laborabam, quasi 
recens erat in memoria mea. Rev. 1. 6, c. 65. 

§ Beatissima Virgo pro tota vita fecit professionem doloris. 
Vit. Christ, c. 28. 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


521 


said the angel to St. Bridget, so the mother of God 
advanced in years in the midst of sufferings ; and as 
the thorns increase with the growth of the rose, thus 
this rose selected by the Lord, Mary, as she increased 
in age, was so much the more pierced by the thorns 
of her dolors.* Having considered the length of this 
suffering, let us now pass on to the second point, 
namely, the consideration of its greatness. 

Point Second. — Ah, Mary was not only queen of 
the martyrs, because her martyrdom was longer than 
that of all others, but also because it was the greatest 
of all. But who can measure its greatness ? Jere- 
mias appears to be unable to find any one with whom 
he may compare this mother of sorrows, when con- 
sidering her great suffering at the death of her Son. 
“ To what shall I compare thee, or to what shall I 
liken thee, oh daughter of Jerusalem ; for great as the 
sea is thy destruction ; who shall heal thee ?”f Where- 
fore Cardinal Hugo, commenting on these words, says : 
Oh blessed Virgin, as the bitterness of the sea exceeds 
all other bitterness, so thy grief surpasses all other 
griefs.J Hence St. Anselm affirms, that if God, by a 


* Sicut rosa crescere solet inter spinas ita B. Virgo in hoc 
mundo crevit inter tribulationes ; et sicut, crescente rosa, cres- 
cunt spinae ; sic haec electissima rosa Maria, quanto crescebat 
eetate, tanto tribulationum spinis pungebatur. Serin. Ang. c. 16. 

t Cui comparabo te? vel cui assimilabo te, Alia Jerusalem? 
Magna est enim velut mare contritio tua. Quis medebitur tui ? 
Thren. ii. 1. 

\ Quemadmodum mare est in amaritudine excellens, ita tuse 
contritioni nulla calamitas aequari potest. 

44* 


522 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


special miracle, had not preserved the life of Mary, 
her grief would have been sufficient to cause her/leath 
at each moment of her life.'* And St. Bernardine of 
Sienna even says, that the grief of Mary was so great, 
that if it were divided among all men, it would be 
enough to cause their immediate death. f 

But let us consider the reasons why the martyrdom 
of Mary was greater than that of all the martyrs. In 
the first place, it must be remembered that the martyrs 
suffered their martyrdom in the body, by means of 
fire or steel ; Mary suffered martyrdom in her soul, as 
St. Simeon had before prophesied : And thy own soul 
a sword shall pierce : “ Et tuam ipsius animam per- 
transibit gladius :”J as if the holy old man had said 
to her : Oh holy Virgin, the bodies of the other mar- 
tyrs will be torn with iron, but thou wilt be pierced 
and martyred in thy soul, by the passion of thy own 
Son. Now, as the soul is more noble than the body, 
so much greater was the suffering of Mary than that 
of all the martyrs ; as Jesus Christ himself said to 
St. Catharine of Sienna : There is no comparison be- 
tween the sufferings of the soul and the body : “ Inter 
dolorem animee et corporis nulla est comparatio.” 
Whence the holy abbot Arnold Carnotensis says, that 

* Utique, Domina, non crediderim te potuisse stimulos tanti 
cruciatus, quin vitam amitteres, sustinere ; nisi ipse spiritus tui 
filii te confortaret. De Ec. Virg. c. 3. 

t Tantus fuit dolor Yirginis, quod si inter omnes creaturas, 
quae dolorem pati possunt, divideretur, omnes subito interirent. 
To. 1, Serm. 67. 

X Luc. ii. 35. 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


523 


whoever had been present on Calvary at the great 
sacrifice of the immaculate Lamb, when he was dying 
on the cross, would have there beheld two great altars, 
one in the body of Jesus, the other in the heart of 
Mary ; for there, at the same time that the Son sacri- 
ficed his body in death, Mary sacrificed her soul in 
compassion.* 

Moreover, while the other martyrs, as St. Antoninus 
Says,f suffered by sacrificing their own lives, the blessed 
Virgin suffered by sacrificing the life of her Son, whom 
she loved far more than her own life ; so that she not 
only suffered in spirit all that her Son suffered in body, 
but, moreover, the sight of the sufferings of her Son 
brought more grief to her heart than if she had en- 
dured them all in her own person. There can be no 
doubt that Mary suffered in her heart all the tortures 
by which she saw her beloved Jesus tormented. 
Every one knows that the sufferings of children are 
also the sufferings of their mothers, when they are 
the witnesses of them. St. Augustine, considering 
the anguish that the mother of the Macchabees ex- 
perienced in witnessing the tortures which her sons 
endured, says : “ She suffered in them all, because she 
loved them all ; and endured with her eyes what they 
all endured in the flesh.”;); Thus also was it with 


* Nimirum in tabernaculo illo duo videres altaria, aliud in 
pectore matris, aliud in corpore Christi ; Christus carnem, Maria 
immolabat animam. Tr. de sep. verb. Do. in Cru. 

+ P. 1, tit. 15, c. 24. 

\ 111a videndo in omnibus passa est; quia amabat omnes, 


524 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


Mary; all those torments, scourgings, thorns, nails, 
and the cross, which tortured the innocent flesh of 
Jesus, entered at the same time into the heart of Maiy 
to complete her martyrdom. He in the flesh, she in 
the heart suffered, writes St. Amadeus : “ Ille carne, 
ilia corde passa est.”* So that, as St. Lawrence Jus- 
tinian says, the heart of Mary became as it were a 
mirror of the agonies of her Son, in which were seen 
the spitting, the scourging, the wounds, and all that 
Jesus suffered.]- And St. Bonaventure remarks, that 
these wounds which were scattered all over the body 
of Jesus, were all united in the one heart of Mary.J 

The Virgin, then, through compassion for her Son, 
was scourged, crowned with thorns, insulted, and 
nailed to the cross. Whence the same saint con- 
sidering Mary on Mt. Calvary, where she was present 
with her dying Son, asks of her : Oh Lady, tell me 
where you then stood ? Perhaps only at the foot of 
the cross ! Might I not rather say thou wast on the 
cross itself crucified with thy Son ?§ And Richard, 
remarking on the words of the Redeemer, which he 
spoke by the mouth of Isaias : “ I have trodden the 

ferebat in oculis quocl in carne omnes. Serm. 109, de Divers, 
c. 6. 

* Horn. 5. 

t Passionis Christi speculum effectum erat cor Yirginis, in 
illo agnoscebantur sputa, convicia, verbera, vulnera. De Agon. 
Gliri. c. 11. 

X Singula vulnera per ejus corpus dispersa, in uno corde sunt 
unita. De Planctu. Virg. in Stiin. Am. 

§ 0 Domina mea ubi stabas ? N unquid tantum juxta crucem ? 
Imo in cruce cum filio crucifixa eras. Loc. cit. 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


525 


•wine-press alone, and of the Gentiles there is not a 
man with me,”* adds: Oh Lord, thou dost rightly 
say that in the work of human redemption thou didst 
suffer alone, and there was no man that could pity 
thee sufficiently ; but there was a woman with thee, 
thy own mother, who suffered in her heart whatever 
thou didst suffer in thy body.f 

But all this is saying only too little of the sorrows 
of Mary ; for, as I have before said, she suffered more 
in seeing her beloved Jesus suffer, than if in her own 
person she had endured all the tortures and the death 
of her Son. Erasmus has written, speaking of pa- 
rents, generally, that they feel the sufferings of their 
children more than their own.J; But this is not al- 
ways true. It was no doubt true of Mary, for she 
certainly loved her Son and his life far more than her- 
self, and a thousand lives of her own. Therefore St. 
Amadeus well declares, that the afflicted mother, at 
the sorrowful sight of the agony of her beloved Jesus, 
suffered much more than if she herself had endured 
his whole passion.§ The reason is plain, since, as St. 
Bernard says : The soul is more where it loves, than 

* Torcular ealcavi solus, ot de gentibus non est vir mecum. 
Isa. lxiii. 3. 

+ Vcrura cst, Domino, quod non est vir tecum, sed mulier 
una cst tecum, quae omnia vulnera quae tu suscepisti in corpore, 
suscepit in corde. 

% Parentes atrocius torquentur in liberis, quam in seipsis. 
Libell. de Machab. 

§ Maria torquebatur magis, quam si torqueretur ex se ; quo- 
niam supra se incomparabiliter diligebat id unde dolebat. Cit, 
Horn. 5. 


526 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


where it lives : “ Anima magis est ubi amat, quam ubi 
animat.” And the Saviour himself had before said, 
that pur heart is where our treasure is.* If Mary, 
then, through love, lived more in her Son than in her- 
self, a much greater grief did she suffer at the death 
of her Son, than if the most cruel death in the world 
had been inflicted on her. 

And here is to be considered the other circumstance 
that rendered the martyrdom of Mary far greater than 
the sufferings of all the martyrs, for in the passion of 
Jesus she suffered much, and she suffered without al- 
leviation. The martyrs suffered under the torments 
which their tyrants inflicted upon them, but love to 
Jesus rendered their pains sweet and delightful. A St. 
Vincent suffered in his martyrdom ; he was tortured on * 
the rack, torn with hooks, burned with red-hot iron 
plates ; but St. Augustine says : One seemed to suffer, 
and another to speak: “Alius videbatur pati, alius 
loqui.” The saint addressed the tyrant with such 
power, and with such contempt of his torments, that 
it seemed as if one Vincent suffered and another Vin- 
cent spoke, so greatly did his God, with the sweet- 
ness of his love, comfort him in the midst of his suf- 
ferings. A St. Boniface suffered ; his body was torn 
with irons, sharp-pointed reeds were thrust between 
his nails and flesh, melted lead was poured into his 
mouth, and at the same time he could not often enough 
repeat: I give thanks to thee, oh Jesus Christ: 

“ Gratias tibi ago, Domine Jesu Christe.” A St. 

* Ubi thesaurus vester est, ibi et cor vestrum erit. Luc. xii. 34. 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


527 


Mark and a St. Marcellinus suffered ; they were 
bound to a stake, their feet pierced by nails, and the 
tyrant appealed to them, saying : “ Miserable beings, 
look at your condition, and save yourselves from these 
torments.” And they answered : “ What torments, 
what pains do you speak of ? We have never feasted 
with more joy than now, when we are suffering with 
pleasure for the love of Jesus Christ.”* A St. Law- 
rence suffered, but while he was burning on the grid- 
iron, the interior flame of love, as St. Leo says, was 
more powerful to cheer his soul, than the flames with- 
out were to torture his body.f Hence love made 
him so strong, that he even braved the tyrant by 
saying to him : Tyrant, if you wish to feed on my 
flesh, a part is sufficiently cooked, turn and eat : “ As- 
satum est jam, versa et manduca.” But in such tor- 
ture and lingering death, how could the saint thus 
exult ? Ah, St. Augustine answers, because, intoxi- 
cated with the wine of divine love, he felt neither 
torments nor death.| 

For the holy martyrs, the more they loved Jesus, 
the less they felt torments and death, and the sight 
alone of the sufferings of a crucified God was suf- 
ficient to console them. But was not our afflicted 
mother, also, thus consoled by love for her Son, and 

* Nunquam tam jucunde epulati sumus, quam cum haec li- 
benter Jesu Christi amore perferimus. 

f Segnior fuit ignis qui foris ussit, quam qui intus accendit. 
In Nat. S. Laur. 

X It ilia longa morte, in illis tormentis illo calice ebrius tor- 
menta non sentit. Tract. 27. 


528 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


the sight of his sufferings ? No, for this very Son 
who suffered, was the whole cause of her grief ; and 
the love she bore him was her only, and too cruel 
executioner ; for the whole martyrdom of Mary con- 
sisted in seeing and pitying her innocent and beloved 
Son, who suffered so much. Therefore, the more she 
loved him, the more bitter and inconsolable was her 
sorrow. “ Great as the sea is thy destruction, who 
shall heal thee?”* Ah, queen of heaven, love hath 
alleviated the sufferings of other martyrs, and has 
healed their wounds ; but who has ever soothed thy 
great sorrow ? Who has ever healed the cruel wounds 
of thy heart ? Who will heal thee ? “ Quis medebi- 

tur tui ?” if that same Son, who could give thee con- 
solation, was by his sufferings the sole cause of thy 
sorrows, and the love that thou didst bear him, caused 
all thy martyrdom ? Therefore, whilst the other mar- 
tyrs, as Diez remarks, are all represented with the in- 
strument of their passion — St. Paul with the sword, 
St. Andrew with the cross, St. Lawrence with the 
gridiron — Mary is represented with her dead Son in 
her arms, because Jesus himself alone was the instru- 
ment of her martyrdom, by reason of the love which 
she bore him. In a few words St. Bernard confirms 
all I have said : With the other martyrs their great 
love soothed the anguish of their martyrdom ; but the 
more the blessed Virgin loved, so much the more she 
suffered, and so much more cruel was her martyrdom.-)- 

* Magna est velut mare contritio tua ; quis medebitur tilt ? 

+ In aliis martyribus magnitude) amoris dolorem lenivit pas- 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


529 


It is certain that the greater is our love for a thing, 
the greater pain we feel in losing it. The loss of a 
brother certainly afflicts us more than the loss of a 
beast of burden ; and the death of a son, more than 
that of a friend. Now Cornelius a Lapide says, that 
to comprehend how great was the grief of Mary at 
the death of her Son, we should comprehend how 
great was the love she bore him.* But who can 
measure that love ? The blessed Amadeus Says, that 
in the heart of Mary two kinds of love to her Jesus 
were united : the supernatural love with which she 
loved him as her God, and the natural love with 
which she loved him as her son ;f so that, of these 
two loves, one only was formed, but a love so immense 
that William of Paris even said, that the blessed 
Virgin loved Jesus to such a degree that a pure 
creature could not love him more.+ And Richard of 
St. Laurence says, as there was no love like her love, 
so there was no grief like her grief.§ If, therefore, 
the love of Mary for her Son was immense, immense, 

sionis ; sed beata Virgo quanto plus amavit, tanto plus doluit, 
tantoque ipsius martyrium gravius fuit. Ap. Crois. Vit. Mar. 
s. 23. 

* Ut scias quantus fuerit dolor B. Virginis, cogita quantus 
fuerit amor. 

t Duse dilectiones in unam convenerant et ex duobus amori- 
bus factus est amor unus, cum Virgo mater filio divinitatis amo- 
rem impenderet, et in Deo amorem nato exhiberet. Horn. 5, de 
Laud. V. 

X Quantum capere potuit puri hominis modus. 

§ Unde sicut non fuit amor sicut amor ejus, ita non fuit dolor 
sicut dolor ejus. 


45 


530 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


also, must have been her grief in losing him by death. 
Where love is greatest, says blessed Albertus Magnus, 
there grief is greatest : “ Ubi summus amor, ibi sum- 
mus dolor.” 

Let us imagine, then, that the divine mother, stand- 
ing near her Son dying upon the cross, and justly 
applying to herself the words of Jeremias, says to 
us : “ Oh, all ye that pass by the way attend, and see 
if there be any sorrow like to my sorrow.”* Oh ye 
that are passing your lives upon this earth, and have 
no pity for me, stop a while to look upon me, now 
that I behold this beloved Son dying before my eyes ; 
and then see if among all who are afflicted and tor- 
mented, there be sorrow like to my sorrow. No, 
answers St. Bonaventure, there can be found ruo sor- 
row, oh afflicted mother, more bitter than thine, for 
no son can be found more dear than thine.f Ah, 
there has never been in the world, says St. Lawrence 
Justinian, a son more worthy of love than Jesus, nor 
a mother who loved her son more than Mary ; if, then, 
there has never been in the world a love like the love 
of Mary, how can there be a grief like the grief of 
Mary ?f 

Therefore, St. Ildephonsus did not hesitate to affirm, 

* 0 vos omnes qui transitis per viam attendite, et videte, si 
est dolor sicut dolor meus. Thren. i. 12. 

t Nullus dolor amarior, quia nulla proles charior. DeCom- 
pas. Virg. c. 2. 

X Non fuit talis filius, non fuit talis mater; non fuit tanta 
charitas, non fuit dolor tantus. Ideo quanto dilexit tenerius, 
tanta vulnerata est profundius. Lib. 3, de Laud. Yirg. 




GLORIES OF MARY. 


531 


that it was little to say that the sufferings of the Vir- 
gin exceeded all the torments of the martyrs, even 
were they united together.* And St. Anselm adds, 
that the most cruel tortures inflicted upon the holy 
martyrs were light or nothing, in comparison with the 
martyrdom of Mary.f St. Basil likewise writes, that 
as the sun surpasses in splendor all the other planets, 
so Mary in her sufferings exceeded the sufferings of 
all the other martyrs. J A certain learned authorg 
concludes with an admirable sentiment, saying, that so 
great was the sorrow which this tender mother suf- 
fered in the passion of Jesus, that she alone could 
worthily compassionate the death of a God made 
man. 

But St. Bonaventure, addressing the blessed Virgin, 
says : Oh Lady, why hast thou wished to go and sac- 
rifice thyself also on Calvary ? Was not a crucified 
God sufficient to redeem us, that thou his mother 
wouldst be crucified also ?|| Indeed, the death of 
Jesus was more than enough to save the world, and 

* Parum est Mariam in passione filii tam acerbos pertulisse 
dolores, ut omnium martyrum collective tormenta superaret. 
Ap. Sinisc. Mart, de Mar. Cons. 36. 

t Quicquid crudelitatis inflictum est corporibus martyrum, 
leve fuit, aut potius nihil comparatione tuae passionis. De Exc. 
Yirg. c. 5. 

X Virgo universos martyres tantum excedit, quantum sol reli- 
qua astra. 

§ P. Pinam. 

|| 0 Domina, cur ivisti immolari pro nobis? Non sufficiebat 
filii passio, nisi crucifigeretur et mater ? Ap. Pac. Exc. 10, in 
Sal. Ang. 


532 


GLOEIES OF MARY. 


also an infinity of worlds ; but this good mother 
wished, for the love she bore us, likewise to aid 
the cause of our salvation with the merits of the sor- 
rows which she offered for us on Calvary. And, 
therefore, says the blessed Albertus Magnus, as we 
are indebted to Jesus for what he suffered for love of 
us, we are also indebted to Mary for the martyrdom 
which she, in the death of her Son, voluntarily suf- 
fered for our salvation.* I have added voluntarily, 
since, as the angel revealed to St. Bridget, this our so 
merciful and kind mother was willing to suffer any 
pain, rather than to see souls unredeemed or left in their 
former perdition.f It may be said that this was the 
only consolation of Mary in the midst of her great 
sorrow at the passion of her Son, to see the lost 
world redeemed by his death, and men, who were his 
enemies, reconciled with God. Grieving, she rejoiced, 
says Simon da Cassia, because the sacrifice was of- 
fered for the redemption of all, by which wrath wa-s 
appeased.]; 

Such love as that of Mary merits our gratitude, 
and let us show our gratitude by meditating upon and 
compassionating her sorrows. But of this she com- 
plained to St. Bridget, that very few pitied her, and 

* Sicut totus mundus obligator Deo propter passionem, sio 
obligator Domina? propter compassionem. Sup. Miss. cap. 20. 

t Sic pia et misericors est, et fuit, quod maluit omnes tribula- 
tiones sufferre, quam quod animae non redimerentur. Eev. 1. 
3, c. 30. 

% Laetabatur dolens quod offerebatur sacrificium in redemp- 
tionem omnium quo placabatur iratus. Do Gest. D. 1. 2. c. 27. 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


533 


most lived forgetful of her sorrows. “ I look around 
upon all who are in the world, if perchance there 
may be any to pity me, and meditate upon my 
sorrows, and truly I find very few. Therefore, my 
daughter, though I am forgotten by many, at least do 
not thou forget me ; behold my anguish, and imitate, 
as far. as thou canst, my grief.”* In order to under- 
stand how much the Virgin is pleased by our remem- 
brance of her dolors, it is sufficient to relate, that in 
the year 1239, she appeared to seven of her servants, 
who then became the founders of the order of the 
Servants of Mary, with a black garment in her hand, 
and told them that if they wished to please her, they 
should often meditate upon her dolors ; and therefore 
she wished, in memory of them, that they would here- 
after wear that garment of mourning.f And Jesus 
Christ himself revealed to the blessed Veronica Binas- 
co, that he takes more pleasure, as it were, in seeing 
his mother compassionated than himself ; for thus he 
addressed her : “ My daughter, the tears shed for my 
passion are dear to me ; but loving with so great love 
my mother Mary, the meditation of the dolors which 
she suffered at my death is more dear to me.”J; 

Wherefore the graces are very great which Jesus 

* Respicio ad omnes qui in mundo sunt, si forte sint aliqui 
qui compatiantur mild, et recogitent dolorem meum ; et valde 
paucos invenio. Ideo filia mea, licet a multis oblita sim, tn ta- 
men non obliviscaris mei, vide dolorem meum, et imitare quan- 
tum potes, et dole. Rev. 1. 2, c. 24. 

t Gian. Cent. Serv. 1. 1, c. 14. 

\ Ap. Bolland. 13, Jan. 


45 * 


534 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


promises to those who are devoted to the dolors 
of Mary. Pelbart relates,* that it was revealed to St. 
Elizabeth, that St. John the Evangelist, after the 
blessed Virgin was assumed into heaven, desired to 
see her again. This favor was granted him ; his dear 
mother appeared to him, and Jesus Christ with her; 
and he then heard Mary asking of her Son some pecu- 
liar grace for those who were devoted to her dolors ; 
and Jesus promised her for them the four follow- 
ing special graces: 1st. That those who invoke the 
divine mother by her sorrows, before death will merit 
to obtain true repentance of all their sins. 2d. That 
he will protect such in then tribulations, especially at 
the hour of death. 3d. That he will impress upon 
them the memory of his passion, and that they shall 
have their reward for it in heaven. 4th. That he 
will commit such devout servants to the hands of Mary, 
that she may dispose of them according to her pleas- 
ure, and obtain for them all the graces she desires. 
In proof of this, let us see in the following example 
how devotion to the dolors of Mary may aid our eter- 
nal salvation. 


EXAMPLE. 

We read in the revelations of St. Bridget, f that 
there was once a lord as noble by birth as he was low 
and sinful in his habits. He had given himself by an 
express compact as a slave to the devil, and had served 
him for sixty successive years, leading such a life as 
* Stellar. 1. 3, p. 3, a. 3. \ L. 6, c. 97. 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


535 


may easily be imagined, and never approaching the 
sacraments. Now, this prince was about to die, and 
Jesus Christ, in his compassion, commanded St. 
Bridget to tell his confessor to visit him, and exhort 
him to make his confession. The confessor went, and 
the sick man told him that he had no need of a con- 
fessor, for that he had often made his confession. 
The confessor visited him a second time, and that poor 
slave of hell persevered in his obstinate determination 
not to make his confession. Jesus again directed the 
saint to tell the confessor to go to him again. He 
obeyed, and this third time related to him the revela- 
tion made to the saint, and that he had returned so 
many times because the Lord, who desired to show 
him mercy, had directed him to do so. On hearing 
this, the dying man was moved, and began to weep. 
But how, he exclaimed, can I be pardoned, when for 
sixty years I have served the devil, made myself his 
slave, and have laden my soul with innumerable sins ? 
“ Son,” answered the father, encouraging him, “ do not 
doubt: if you repent of them, in the name of God 
I promise you pardon.” Then beginning to gain con- 
fidence, he said to the confessor: “Father, I believed 
myself lost, and despaired of salvation : but now I feel 
a sorrow for my sins, which encourages me to trust ; 
and as God has not yet abandoned me, I wish to make 
my confession.” And in fact on that day he made his 
confession four times, with great sorrow ; the next day he 
received communion, and on the sixth he died, contrite 
and entirely resigned. After his death, Jesus Christ 


536 GLORIES OF MARY. 

further revealed to St. Bridget, that this sinner was 
saved, and was in purgatory, and that he had been 
saved by the intercession of the Virgin, his mother ; 
for the deceased, although he had led so sinful a life, 
yet had always preserved devotion to her dolors, 
whenever he remembered them he pitied her. 

PRAYER. 

Oh my afflicted mother ! queen of martyrs and of 
sorrows, thou hast shed so many tears for thy Son, 
who died for my salvation, and yet what will thy tears 
avail me, if I am lost ? By the merits, then, of thy 
dolors, obtain for me a true sorrow for my sins, and a 
true amendment of life, with a perpetual and tender 
compassion for the passion of Jesus and thy own suf- 
ferings. And if Jesus and thou, being so innocent, 
have suffered so much for me, obtain for me that I, 
who am deserving of hell, may also suffer something 
for love of you. Oh Lady, I will say to thee with 
St. Bonaventure, if I have offended thee, wound my 
heart in punishment ; if I have served thee, now I 
beg to be wounded as a reward. It is a shameful 
thing to see our Lord Jesus wounded, and thee 
wounded with him, and I uninjured.* Finally, oh 
my mother, by the grief thou didst experience on 
seeing thy Son before thy eyes bow his head and ex- 

* 0 Domina, si te offendi pro justitia cor meum vulnera; si 
tibi servivi, nunc pro mercede, peto, vulnera. Opprobriosum 
est videre Dominum Jesum vulneratum, te convulneratum, et 
me illsesum. 


GLORIES OF MART. 


537 


pire upon the cross, I entreat of thee to obtain for me 
a good death. Ah, do not cease, oh advocate of sin- 
ners, to assist my afflicted and struggling soul in that 
great passage that it has to make into eternity. And, 
because at that time it may easily be the case that I 
shall have lost the use of speech with which to invoke 
thy name, and that of Jesus, who are all my hope, 
therefore I now invoke thy Son and thee to succor 
me at that last moment, and I say: Jesus and Mary, 
to you I commend my soul. Amen. 


REFLECTIONS 

ON EACH OF THE SEVEN DOLOES OF MAEY IN 
PAETICULAE. 

ON THE FIRST DOLOR. 
of st. Simeon’s prophecy. 

In this valley of tears, every man is born to weep, 
and every one must suffer those afflictions that daily 
befall him. But how much more miserable would life 
be, if every one knew also the future evils which are 
to afflict him ! Too unhappy would he be, says Seneca, 
whose fate was such.* The Lord exercises this com- 
passion towards us, namely, that he does not make 

* Calamitosus esset animus futuri prsescius et ante miserias 
miser. Ep. 98. 


538 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


known to us the crosses that await us ; that if we are 
to suffer them, at least we may suffer them only once. 
But he did not exercise this compassion with Mary, 
who, because God wished her to be queen of dolors, 
and in all things like his Son, had to see always before 
her eyes, and to suffer continually all the sorrows that 
awaited her; and those were the sufferings of the 
passion and death of her beloved Jesus. For St. 
Simeon in the temple, after having received the divine 
child in his arms, predicted to her that this child was 
to be the mark for all the opposition and persecution 
of men : “ Set for a sign which shall be contradicted 
and that therefore the sword of sorrow should pierce 
her soul : “ And thy own soul a sword shall pierce.”* 

The holy Virgin herself^ said to St. Matilda, that at 
this announcement of St. Simeon all her joy was 
changed into sorrow.f For, as it was revealed to St. 
Theresa, the blessed mother, although she knew be- 
fore this that the life of her Son would be sacrificed 
for the salvation of the world, yet she then learned 
more particularly and distinctly the sufferings and 
cruel death that awaited her poor Son. She knew 
that he would be contradicted in all things. Contra- 
dicted in doctrine ; for instead of being believed, he 
would be esteemed a blasphemer for teaching that he 
was the Son of God, as the impious Caiaphas declared 
him to be, saying : “He hath blasphemed, he is guilty 

* Positus est hie in signum cui contradicetur. Et tuam ipsius 
aniraam doloris gladius pertransibit. Luc. ii. 35. 

t Omnis lsetitia mea ad ilia verba in mcerore conversa est. 


539 


GLORIES OF MAEy. 

of death.”* * * § Contradicted in his reputation, for he 
was noble, of royal lineage, and was despised as a 
peasant : “ Is not this the carpenter’s son ?”f “ Is 

not this the carpenter, the son of Maiy ?”J He was 
wisdom itself, and was treated as an ignorant man : 
“ How doth this man know letters, having never 
learned ?”§ As a false prophet : “ And they blind- 
folded him and smote his face .... saying : Prophesy 
who is this that struck thee.”|| He was treated as a 
madman : “ He is mad, why hear you him ?”*([ As 
a wine-bibber, a glutton, and a friend of sinners: 
“ Behold a man that is a glutton, and a drinker of 
wine, a friend of publicans and sinners.”** As a 
sorcerer : “ By the prince of devils he casteth out 
devils.”ff As a heretic and possessed person: “Do 
we not say well of thee, that thou art a Samaritan, 
and hast a devil ?”JJ In a word, Jesus was considered 
as so bad and notorious a man, that no trial was neces- 
sary to condemn him, as the Jews said to Pilate : “ If 
he were not a malefactor, we would not have delivered 

* Blasphemavit, reus est mortis. Matt. xxvi. 65, 66. 

t Non hie fabri filius ? Matt. xiii. 55. 

\ Nonne hie est faber, filius Mariae ? Matt. vi. 3. 

§ Quomodo hie literas scit, cum non didicerit. Joan. vii. 15. 

|| Et velaverunt eurn, et percutiebant faciem ejus . . , dicentes ; 
Prophetiza, quis est qui te percussit. Luc. xxii. 64. 

Insanit, quid eum auditis? Joan. x. 20. 

** Ecce homo devorator, et bibens vinum, amicus publica- 
norum et peceatorum. Luc. vii. 34. 

ft In principe daemoniorum ejicit daemonia. Matt. ix. 34. 

XX Nonne bene dicimus nos, quia Samaritanus es tu, et daemo- 
nium babes ? Joan. viii. 48. 


540 GLORIES OF MARY. 

him up to thee.”* * * § He was contradicted in his soul, 
for even his eternal Father, in order to give place to 
the divine justice, contradicted him by not wishing to 
hear him when he prayed to him, saying: “Father, 
if it be possible, let this chalice pass from me ;”f and 
abandoned him to fear, weariness, and sadness, so that 
our afflicted Lord said : “ My soul is sorrowful even 
unto death. His interior suffering even caused him 
to sweat blood. Contradicted and persecuted, in a 
word, in his body and his life, for he was tortured in 
all his sacred members : in his hands, in his feet, in 
his face, in his head, in his whole body, till, drained to 
the last drop of his blood, he died an ignominious 
death on the cross. 

When David, in the midst of all his pleasures and 
royal-grandeur, heard from Nathan the prophet that 
his son should die — “ The child that is born to thee 
shall surely die”§ — he could find no peace, but wept, 
fasted, and slept upon the ground. Mary received 
with the greatest calmness the announcement that her 
Son should die, and peacefully continued to submit to 
it ; but what grief she must have continually suffered, 
seeing this amiable Son always near her, hearing from 
him words of eternal life, and beholding his holy de- 

* Si non esset hie malefactor, non tibi tradidissemus eum. 
Joan, xviii. 80. 

t Pater mi, si possibile est, transeat a me calix iste. Matt, 
xxvi. 89. 

\ Tristis es anima mea usque ad mortem. Matt. xxvi. 38. 

§ Filins qui natus est tibi, morte morietur. 2 Eeg. xii. 14. 


GLORIES OF MART. 541 

meanor. Abraham suffered great affliction during the 
three days he passed with his beloved Isaac, after he 
knew that he was to lose him. Oh God ! not for 
three days, but for thirty-three years, Mary had to 
endure a like sorrow. Like, do I say ? A sorrow as 
much greater as the Son of Mary was more lovely 
than the son of Abraham. The blessed Virgin her- 
self revealed to St. Bridget,* * * § that while she lived on 
the earth there was not an hour when this grief did not 
pierce her soul : As often, she continued, as I looked 
upon my Son, as often as I wrapped him in his swad- 
dling clothes, as often as I saw his hands and his feet, 
so often was my soul overwhelmed as it were with a 
fresh sorrow, because I considered how he would be 
crucified.! Rupert the Abbot, contemplating Mary, 
while she was suckling her Son, imagines her address- 
ing him in these words : “ A bundle of myrrh is my 
beloved to me, he shall abide between my breasts.”! 
Ah, my Son, I clasp thee in my arms, because thou 
art so dear to me; but the dearer thou art to me* 
the more thou dost become to me a bundle of myrrh 
and of sorrow, when I think of thy sufferings. Mary, 
says St. Bernardine of Sienna, g considered that the’ 

* Lib. 6, Rev. c. 9. 

t Quoties aspiciebam filium meum, quoties involvebam eum 
pannis, quoties videbam ejus manus ct pedes; toties animus 
meus quasi novo dolore absorptus est ; quia cogitabam, quo- 
modo crucifigeretur. Lib. 6, c. 57. 

X Fasciculus mirrhse dilectus meus mihi, inter ubera inea. 
commorabitur. Cant. i. 12. 

§ Tom. 3, Serm. 2, a. 3, c. 1. 

46 


542 


GLORIES OF MART. 


strength of the saints was to pass through death ; the 
beauty of paradise to be deformed ; the Lord of the 
universe to be bound as a criminal ; the Creator of all 
things to be livid with stripes ; the Judge of all to be 
condemned ; the glory of heaven despised ; the King 
of kings to be crowned with thorns, and treated as a 
mock king. 

Father Engelgrave writes, that it was revealed to 
the same St. Bridget, that the afflicted mother, know- 
ing all that her Son would have to suffer, when suck- 
ling him, thought of the gall and vinegar ; when she 
swathed him, of the cords with which he was to be 
bound ; when she bore him in her arms, she thought 
of him being nailed to the cross ; and when he slept, 
she thought of his death.* As often as she put 
on him his clothes, she reflected that they would 
one day be torn from him, that he might be cru- 
cified; and when she beheld his sacred hands and 
feet, and thought of the nails that were to pierce 
them, as Mary said to St. Bridget : “ My eyes 
filled with tears, and my heart was tortured with 
grief. ”f 

The evangelist says, that as Jesus Christ advanced 
in years, so also he advanced in wisdom and in grace 


* Eum lactans cogitabat de felle et aceto ; quando fasciis in- 
volvebat, funes cogitabat quibus ligandus erat ; quando gesta- 
bat, cogitabat in cruce confixum ; quando dormiebat, cogitabat 
mortuum. Tom. 1, Ev. Lu. Dom. infr. Oct. Nat. s. 1. 

t Oculi mei replebantur lacrymis, et cor meum torquebatur 
dolore. Lib. 6, c. 57, et 1. 7, c. 7. 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


543 


with God and men.* That is, he advanced in wisdom 
and in grace before men, or in their estimation ; and 
before God, according to St. Thomas, f inasmuch as 
all his works would continually have availed to increase 
his merit, if from the beginning grace in its complete 
fulness had not been conferred on him by virtue of 
the hypostatic union. But if Jesus advanced in the 
esteem and love of others, how much more did he 
advance in Mary’s love ! But, oh God, as love in- 
creased in her, the more increased in her the grief of 
having to lose him by a death so cruel. And the 
nearer the time of the passion of her Son approached, 
with so much greater pain did that sword of sorrow, 
predicted by St. Simeon, pierce the heart of the 
mother ; precisely this the angel revealed to St. Brid- 
get, saying : “ That sword of sorrow was every hour 
drawing nearer to the Virgin as the time for the pas- 
sion of her Son drew nearer. ”J; • 

If, then, Jesus our King and his most holy mother 
did not refuse, for love of us, to suffer during their 
whole life such cruel pains, there is no reason that we 
should complain if we suffer a little. Jesus crucified 
once appeared to sister Magdalene Orsini, a Dominican 
nun, when she had been long suffering a great trial, 
and encouraged her to remain with him on the cross 

* Et Jesus proficiebat sapientia et setate, et gratia apud Deum, 
et homines. Luc. ii. 23. 

f 3, p. q. 7, art. 12. 

\ Ille doloris gladius Virgini omni hora tanto se propius ap- 
proximabat, quanto Filius passionis tempori magis appropinqua- 
bat. Fer. 6, lect. 2, c. 16. 


544 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


with that sorrow that was afflicting her. Sister Mag- 
dalene answered him complainingly : “ Oh Lord, thou " 
didst suffer on the cross only three hours, but it is 
more than three years that I have been suffering this 
cross.” Then the Redeemer replied : “ Ah ! ignorant 
soul, what dost thou say ? I, from the first moment 
I was conceived, suffered in heart what I afterwards 
suffered on the cross.” If, then, we too suffer any 
affliction and complain, let us imagine that Jesus and 
his mother Mary are saying to us the same words. 

EXAMPLE. 

Father Roviglione, of the Company of Jesus, relates,* 
that a certain youth practised the devotion of visiting 
every day an image of the sorrowful Mary, in which she 
was represented with seven swords piercing her heart. 
One night the unhappy youth fell into mortal sin. 
Going next morning to visit the image, he saw in the 
heart of the blessed Virgin not only seven, but eight 
swords. As he stood gazing at this, he heard a voice 
saying to him, that his sin had added the eighth 
sword to the heart of Mary. This softened his hard 
heart ; he went immediately to confession, and 
through the intercession of his advocate, recovered the 
divine grace. 


PRAYER. 

Oh my blessed mother, not one sword only, but as 
many swords as I have committed sins have I added 


* Fasc. di Rose, p. 2, c. 2. 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


545 


to those seven in thy heart. Ah, my Lady, thy sor- 
rows are not due to thee who art innocent, but to me 
who am guilty. But since thou hast wished to suffer 
so much for me, ah, by thy merits obtain for me great 
sorrow for my sins, and patience under the trials of 
this life, which will always be light in comparison with 
my demerits, for I have often merited hell. Amen. 


ON THE SECOND DOLOR. 

OF THE FLIGHT OF JESUS INTO EGYPT. 

As the stag, wounded by an arrow, carries the pain 
with him wherever he goes, because he carries with 
him the arrow that has wounded him ; thus the divine 
mother, after the prophecy of St. Simeon, as we saw 
in our consideration of the first grief, always carried 
her sorrow with her by the continual remembrance of 
the passion of her Son. Ailgrin, explaining this pas- 
sage of the Canticles, “ The hairs of thy head as the 
purple of the king bound in the channel,”* says: 
These hairs of Mary were her continual thoughts of 
the passion of Jesus, which kept always before her 
eyes the blood which was one day to flow from his, 
wounds. Thy mind, oh Mary, and thy thoughts 
tinged in the blood of the passion of our Lord, were 
always moved with sorrow as if they actually saw the 

* Et comae capitis tui sicut purpura regis vincta canalibus. 
C. 7, v. 5. 


46 * 


546 


GLOEIES OF MAET. 

blood flowing from bis wounds.* Thus her Son him- 
self was that arrow in the heart of Mary, who, the 
more worthy of love he showed himself to her, always 
wounded her the more with the sorrowful thought 
that she should lose him by so cruel a death. Let 
us now pass to the consideration of the second sword 
of sorrow which wounded Mary, in the flight of her 
infant Jesus into Egypt from the persecution of Herod. 

Herod having heard that the expected Messiah was 
born, foolishly feared that the new-born King would 
deprive him of his kingdom. Hence St. Fulgen- 
tius, reproving him for his folly, thus says : “ Why, 
oh Herod, art thou thus disturbed ? This King who 
is born has not come to conquer kings by arms, but 
to subjugate them, in a wonderful manner, by his 
death.”f The impious Herod, therefore, waited to 
learn from the holy magi where the King was born, 
that he might take from him his life ; but finding him- 
self deceived by the magi, he ordered all the infants 
that could be found in the neighborhood of Bethlehem 
to be put to death. But an angel appeared in a 
dream to St. Joseph, and said to him : “ Arise, and 
take the child and his mother, and fly into Egypt. ”J 

* Mens tua, 0 Maria, et cogitationes tuae tinctae in sanguine 
dominicae passionis, sic affectae semper fuere, quasi recenter vi- 
derent sanguinem de vulneribus profluentem. In Cant. c. 7, v. 5. 

f Quid est quod sic turbaris Herodes? Eex iste qui natus 
est non venit reges pugnando superare sed moriendo mirabili- 
ter subjugare. Serm. 5, de Epiph. 

X Surge et accipe puerum, et matrem ejus et fuge in Egyptum. 
Matth. ii. 13. 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


547 


According to Gerson, immediately, on that very night, 
Joseph made this command known to Mary; and 
taking the infant Jesus, they commenced their journey, 
as it seems clearly from th$ Gospel itself: “Who 
arose and took the child and his mother by night, and 
retired into Egypt.” Oh God, as blessed Albertus 
Magnus says in the name of Mary, must he, then, 
who came to save men flee from men ? “ Debet fu- 
gere qui salvator est mundi ?”* And then the afflicted 
Mary knew that already the prophecy of Simeon, re- 
garding her Son, was beginning to be verified : “ He is 
set for a sign which shall be contradicted.” j* Seeing 
that scarcely is he born, when' he is persecuted to 
death. What suffering it must have been to the heart 
of Mary, writes St. John Chyrsostom, to hear the 
tidino-s of that cruel exile of herself with her Son ! 

o 

Flee from thy friends to strangers, from the holy tem- 
ple of the only true God, to the temples of demons. 
What greater tribulation than that a new-born child, 
clinging to its mother’s bosom, should be forced to 
fly with the mother herself 

Every one can imagine how much Mary must have 
suffered on this journey. It was a long distance to 
Egypt. Authors generally agree with Barrada§ that 

* Qui consurgens accepit puerum etmatrem ejus nocte, et se- 
cessit in Egyptum. Matth. ii. 14. 

t Positus est hie in signum cui contradicetur. 

\ Fuge a tuis ad extraneos, a templo ad daemonum fana. 
Quae major tribulatio, quam quod recens natus a collo matris pen- 
dens cum ipsa matre paupercula fugere cogatur ? 

§ 3, Lib. 10, c. 8. 




548 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


it was four hundred miles ; so. that at least it was a 
journey of thirty days. The way, as St. Bonaventure 
describes it, was rough, unknown, through woods, and 
little frequented.* The season was winter, and there- 
fore they had to travel in snow, rain, wind, and storms, 
and through bad and difficult roads. Mary was then 
fifteen years of age, a delicate virgin, unaccustomed 
to such journeys. They had no servant to attend 
them. Joseph and Mary, said St. Peter Chrysologus, 
had no man-servant nor maid-servant ; they were 
themselves both masters and servants.! Oh God, how 
piteous a spectacle it was to see that tender Virgin, with 
that newly born infant in her arms, wandering through 
this world! St. Bonaventure asks, Where did they 
obtain food ? Where did they rest at night ? How 
were they lodged ? J What other food could they have, 
than a piece of hard bread which Joseph brought with 
him or begged in charity ? Where could they have 
slept (particularly in the two hundred miles of desert 
through which they travelled, where, as authors relate, 
there were neither houses nor inns) except on the sand, 
or under some tree in the wood, in the open air, ex- 
posed to robbers, or those wild beasts with which 
Egypt abounded? Ah, if any one had met these 
three greatest personages of the world, what would 


* Yiam silvestrem, obscuram, asperam, et inhabitant. 

+ Joseph et Maria non habent famulum, nonancillam; ipsi 
domini et famuli. 

% Quomodo faciebantde victu? Ubi nocte quiescebant ? Quo- 
modo hospitabantur ? De Vit. Chr. 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


549 


he have believed them to be but three poor, roving 
beggars ? 

They lived in Egypt, according to Brocard and 
Jansenius, in a district called Maturea, though, accord- 
ing to St. Anselm, they dwelt in Heliopolis, first called 
Memphis, and now Cairo. And here let us consider 
the great poverty they must have suffered for the seven 
years they were there, as St. Antoninus, St. Thomas, 
and others assert. They were foreigners, unknown, with- 
out revenues, without money, without kindred ; hardly 
were they able to support themselves by their humble 
labors. As they were destitute, says St. Basil, it is man- 
ifest what efforts they must have made to obtain there 
the necessaries of life.* Moreover, Landolph of Sax- 
ony has written, and let it be repeated for the consolation 
of the poor, that so great was the poverty of Mary 
there, that sometimes she had not so much as a morsel of 
bread, when her Son, forced by hunger, asked it of her.f 

St. Matthew also relates that when Herod was dead, 
the angel again appeared, in a dream, to St. Joseph, 
and directed him to return to Judea. St. Bonaven- 
ture, speaking of this return, considers the greater 
pain of the blessed Virgin, on account of the sufferings 
which Jesus must have endured in that journey, hav- 
ing arrived at about the age of seven years — an age, 
says the saint, when he was so large that he could 


* Cum enim cssent egeni, manifestum est quod sudores fre- 
quentabant necessaria vitae inde sibi quaerentes. 

f Aliquando filius famem patiens panem petiit, nec unde dare 
mater kabuit. In Vit. Christi. c. 13. 


550 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


not be carried, and so small that he could not go 
without assistance.* 

The sight, then, of Jesus and Mary wandering like 
fugitives through this world, teaches us that we 
should also live as pilgrims on the earth, detached 
from the goods which the world offers us, as having 
soon to leave them and go to eternity. “ We have 
not here a lasting city, but seek one that is to come.”f 
To which St. Augustine adds : Thou art a stranger, 
thou givest a look, and then passest on : “ Hospes es, 
vides et transis.” It also teaches us to embrace 
crosses, for we cannot live in this world without a 
cross. The blessed Veronica da Binasco, an Augus- 
tinian nun, was carried in spirit to accompany Mary 
and the infant Jesus in this journey to Egypt, and at 
the end of it the divine mother said to her : “ Child, 
hast thou seen through what difficulties we have 


reached this place ? Now learn that no one receives 
graces without suffering.” He who wishes to feel 
least the sufferings of this life, must take Jesus and 
Mary -with him: “Accipe puerum et matrem ejus.” 
For him who lovingly bears in his heart this Son and 
this mother, all sufferings become light, and even 
sweet and dear. Let us then love them, let us console 
Mary by receiving her Son within our hearts, whom, 
even now, men continue to persecute with their sins. 


* Sic magnus est, .ut portari non valeat : et sic parvus quod per 
se ire non potest. 

f Non liabemus hie manentem civitatem, sed futuram inqui- 
rimus. Heb. xiii. 14. 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


551 


EXAMPLE. 

One day the most holy Mary appeared to the 
blessed Colletta, a Franciscan nun, and showed her 
the infant Jesus in a basin, torn in pieces, and then 
said to her : “ Thus sinners continually treat my Son, 
renewing his death and my sorrows ; oh, my daugh- 
ter, pray for them that they may be converted.”* 
Similar to this is that other vision which appeared to 
the venerable sister Jane, of Jesus and Mary, also a 
Franciscan nun. As she was one day meditating on 
the infant Jesus, persecuted by Herod, she heard a 
great noise, as of armed people, who were pursuing 
some one; and then appeared before her a most 
beautiful child, who was fleeing in great distress, and 
cried to her : “ My Jane, help me, hide me ; I am Je- 
sus of Nazareth, I am flying from sinners who wish 
to kill me, and who persecute me as Herod did : do 
thou save me.”f 

PRAYER. 

Then, oh Mary, even after thy Son hath died by 
the hands of men who persecuted him unto death, 
have not these ungrateful men yet ceased from perse- 
cuting him with their sins, and continuing to afflict 
thee, oh mother of sorrows ? And I also, oh God, 
have been one of these. Ah, my most sweet mother, 
obtain for me tears to weep for such ingratitude. 
And then, by the sufferings thou didst experience in 
thy journey to Egypt, assist me in the journey that I 

* Ap. P. Genev. Serv. Dol. di Mar. t Loc. cit. 


552 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


am making to eternity, that at length I may go to 
unite with thee in loving my persecuted Saviour, in 
the country of the blessed. Amen. 


ON THE THIRD DOLOR. 

OF THE LOSS OF JESUS IN THE TEMPLE. 

St. James the Apostle has said, that our perfection 
consists in the virtue of patience. “ And patience 
hath a perfect work, that you may be perfect and 
entire, failing in nothing.”* The Lord having then 
given us the Virgin Mary as an example of perfection, 
it was necessary that she should be laden with sor- 
rows, that in her we might admire and imitate her he- 
roic patience. The dolor that we are this day to con- 
sider is one of the greatest which our divine mother 
suffered during her life, namely, the loss of her Son 
in the temple. He who is born blind is little sensible 
of the pain of being deprived of the light of day ; but 
to him who has once had sight and enjoyed the light, 
it is a great sorrow to find himself deprived of it by 
blindness. And thus it is with those unhappy souls 
who, being blinded by the mire of this earth, have but 
little knowledge of God, and therefore scarcely feel 
pain at not finding him. On the contrary, the man 
who, illuminated with celestial light, has been made 
worthy to find by love the sweet presence of the 

* Paticntia autem opus perfectum habet, ut sitis perfecti et 
integri, in nullo deficientes. Jac. i. 4. 


GLORIES OF MART. 


553 


highest good, oh God, how he mourns when he finds 
himself deprived of it ! From this we can judge how 
painful must have been to Mary, who was accustomed 
to enjoy constantly the sweet presence of Jesus, that 
third sword which wounded her, when she lost him in 
Jerusalem, and was separated from him for three days. 

In the second chapter of St. Luke we read that 
the blessed Virgin, being accustomed to visit the tem- 
ple every year at the paschal season, with Joseph her 
spouse and Jesus, once went when he was about 
twelve years old, and Jesus remained in Jerusalem, 
though she was not aware of it, for she thought he 
was in company with others. When she reached 
Nazareth she inquired for her Son, and not finding 
him there, she returned immediately to Jerusalem to 
seek him, but did not succeed until after three days. 
Now let us imagine what distress that afflicted mother 
must have experienced in those three days in which 
she was searching everywhere for her Son, with the 
spouse in the Canticles : “ Have you seen him whom 
my soul loveth ?”* But she could hear no tidings of 
him. Oh, with how much greater tenderness must 
Mary, overcome with fatigue, and yet not having 
found her beloved Son, have repeated those words of 
Ruben, concerning his brother Joseph : The boy doth 
not appear, and whither shall I go ? “ Puer non com- 
paret, et ego quo ibo ?” My Jesus doth not appear, 
and I know not what to do that I may find him ; but 
where shall I go without my treasure? Weeping 

* Num quem diligit anima mea vidistis ? Cant. iii. 3. 

47 


554 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


continually, she repeated during these three days with 
David : “ My tears have been my bread day and night, 
whilst it is said to me daily, Where is thy God ?* * * § 
Wherefore Pelbart with reason says, that during those 
nights the afflicted mother had no rest, but wept and 
prayed without ceasing to God, that hie would enable 
her to find her Son.f And, according to St. Bernard, 
often during that time did she repeat to her Son him- 
self the words of the spouse : “ Show me where thou 
feedest, where thou liest in the mid-day, lest I begin 
to wander.”^ My Son, tell me where thou art, that 
I may no longer wander, seeking thee in vain. 

Some writers assert, and not without reason, that 
this dolor was not only one of the greatest, but that it 
was the greatest and most painful of all. For in the 
first place, Mary in her other dolors had Jesus with 
her ; she suffered when St. Simeon uttered the proph- 
ecy in the temple ; she suffered in the flight to Egypt, 
but always with Jesus ; but in this dolor she suffered 
at a distance from J esus, without knowing where he 
was : “ And the light of my eyes itself is not with 
me.”§ Thus, with tears, she then exclaimed : Ah, 
the light of my eyes, my dear J esus, is no more with 

* Fuerunt mihi lacrymse mese panes die ac nocte, dum dicitur 
mihi quotidie, ubi est Deus tuus ? Psal. xli. 4. 

t Illas noctes insoranes duxit in lacrymis, Deum deprecando, 
ut daret illi reperire filium. 

X Indica, mihi ubi cubes, ubi pascas in meridie, ne vagari in- 
cipiam. Cant. i. 6. 

§ Lumen oculorum meorum, et ipse non est mecum. Psal. 
xxvii. 11. 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


555 


me ; he is far from me, I know not where he is ! Ori- 
gen says, that through the love which this holy mother 
bore her Son, she suffered more at this loss of Jesus 
than any martyr ever suffered at death.* Ah, how 
long were these three days for Mary ! they appeared 
three ages. Very bitter days, for there was none to 
comfort her. And who, she exclaimed with Jeremias, 
who can console me if he who could console me is far 
from me ? and therefore my eyes are not satisfied with 
weeping : “ Therefore do I weep, and my eyes run 
down with water, because the comforter is far from 
me.”f And with Tobias she repeated : “ What man- 
ner of joy shall be to me who sit in darkness, and see 
not the light of heaven 

Secondly . — Mary well understood the cause and 
end of the other dolors, namely, the redemption of 
the world, the divine will ; but in this she did not 
know the cause of the absence of her Son. The sor- 
rowful mother was grieved to find Jesus withdrawn 
from her, for her humility, says Lanspergius, made her 
consider herself unworthy to remain with him any lon- 
ger, and attend upon him on earth, and have the care 
of such a treasure. § And perhaps, she may have 

* Vehementer doluit, quia veliementer amabat. Plus doluit 
de ejus amissione, quam aliquis martyr dolorem sentiat de ani- 
mse a corpore separatione. Horn. infr. Oct. Ep. 

+ Idcirco ego plorans, et oculus meus deducens aquas, quia 
longe est a me consolator meus. Tliren. i. 16. 

X Quale gaudium erit mihi, qui in tenebris sedeo, et lumen 
coeli non video. Tob. vi. 11. 

§ Tristabatur ex humilitate, quia arbitrabatur se indignam 
cui tarn pretiosus commissus esset thesaurus. 


I 


556 


GLORIES OF MART. 


thought within herself, I have not served him as I 
ought. Perhaps I have been guilty of some neglect, 
and therefore he has left me. They sought him, lest 
he perchance had left them, as Origen has said.* 
Certainly there is no greater grief for a soul that loves 
God than the fear of having displeased him. And 
therefore Mary never complained in any other sorrow 
but this, lovingly expostulating with Jesus after she 
found him: ‘‘Son, why hast thou done so to us? 
Thy father and I have sought thee sorrowing. By 
these words she did not wish to reprove Jesus, as the 
heretics blasphemously assert, but only to make known 
to him the giief she had experienced during his ab- 
sence from her, on account of the love she bore him. 
It was not a rebuke, says blessed Denis the Car- 
thusian, but a loving complaint : “Non erat increpatio, 
sed amorosa conquestio.” Finally, this sword so cru- 
elly pierced the heart of the Virgin, that the blessed 
Benvenuta, desiring one day to share the pain of the 
holy mother in this dolor, and praying her to obtain 
for her this grace, Mary appeared to her with the infant 
Jesus in her arms ; but while Benvenuta was enjoying 
the sight of that most beautiful child, in one moment 
she was deprived of it. So great was her sorrow that 
she had recourse to Mary, to implore her pity that it 
should not make her die of grief. The holy Virgin 

* Quaerebant eum, ne forte reliquisset eos. Ap. Corn, a Lap. 
in Luc. 2. 

t Pili, quid fecisti nobis sis 1 Pater tuus et ego dolentes quae- 
rebamus te. Luc. ii. 48. 


GLORIES OF MART. 


557 


appeared to her again three days after, and said to 
her : “Now learn, oh my daughter, that thy sorrow is 
but a small part of that which I suffered when I lost 
my Son.”* 

This sorrow of Mary ought, in the first place, to 
serve as a comfort to those souls who are desolate and 
do not enjoy the sweet presence they once enjoyed of 
their Lord. They may weep, but let them weep in 
peace, as Mary wept the absence of her Son. Let 
them take courage, and not fear that on this account 
they have lost the divine favor, for God himself said 
to St. Theresa : “No one is lost without knowing it ; 
and no one is deceived without wishing to be deceived.” 
If the Lord departs from the sight of that soul who 
loves him, he does not therefore depart from the 
heart. He often hides himself that she may seek him 
with greater desire and love. But those who would 
find Jesus must seek him, not amid the delights and 
pleasures of the world, but amid crosses and mortifi- 
cations, as Mary sought him : We sought thee sorrow- 
ing, as she said to her Son : “ Dolentesquserebamus te.” 
Learn from Mary to seek Jesus, says Origen: “Disce 
a Maria quaerere Jesum.” 

Moreover, in this world we should seek no other 
good than Jesus. Job was not unhappy when he 
lost all that he possessed on earth ; riches, children, 
health, and honors, and even descended from a throne 
to a dunghill ; but because he had God with him, even 
then he was happy. St. Augustine, speaking of him, 

* March. Diar. 30, Ott. 

47 * 




558 GLORIES OF MARY. 

says : He had lost all that God had given him, but he 
had God himself: “ Perdiderat ilia quae dederat Deus, 
sed habebat ipsum Deum.” Unhappy and truly 
wretched are those souls who have lost God. If Maiy 
wept for the absence of her Son for three days, how 
ought sinners to weep who have lost divine grace, to 
whom God says : “You are not my people, and I will 
not be yours.”* For sin does this, namely, it separates 
the soul from God: “Your iniquities have divided be- 
tween you and your God.”f Hence, if even sinners 
possess all the goods of earth and have lost God, 
every thing on earth becomes vanity and affliction to 
them, as Solomon confessed : “ Behold, all is vanity 
and vexation of spirit.”J But as St. Augustine says : 
The greatest misfortune of these poor blind souls is, 
that if they lose an ox, they do not fail to go in search I 
of it ; if they lose a sheep, they use all diligence to 
find it ; if they lose a beast of burden, they cannot 
rest ; but they lose the highest good, which is God, 
and yet they eat and drink, and take their rest.§ 

EXAMPLE. 

We read in the Annual Letters of the Society of 
Jesus, that in India, a young man who was just leav- 

* Vos non populus meus, etego non ero vester. Os. i. 19. 

t Peccata vestra diviserunt inter vos et Deum vestrum. Isa. 
lxix. 2. 

% Ecce universa vanitas, et afflictio spiritus. Eccli. i. 14. 

§ Perdit homo bovem, et post eum vadit : perdit ovem et sol- 
licite earn quserit ; perdit asinum, et non quiescit. Perdit homo 
Deum, et comedit, et bibit, et quiescit. 


G-LORIES OF MARY. 


559 


ing bis apartment in order to commit sin heard a voice, 
saying : “ Stop, where are you going ?” He turned 
round and saw an image, in relief, of the sorrowful 
Mary, who drew out the sword which was in her 
breast, and said to him : “ Take this dagger and pierce 
my heart rather than wound my Son with this sin.” 
At the sound of these words the youth prostrated 
himself on the ground, and with deep contrition, burst- 
ing into tears, he asked and obtained from God and 
the Virgin pardon of his sin. 

PRAYER. 

Oh blessed Virgin, why art thou afflicted, seeking 
thy lost Son? Is it because thou dost not know 
where he is ? But dost thou not know that he is in 
thy heart ? Dost thou not see that he is feeding 
among the lilies ? Thou thyself hast said it : “ My 
beloved to me and I to him who feedeth among the 
lilies.”* These, thy humble, pure, and holy thoughts 
and affections, are all lilies, that invite the divine 
spouse to dwell with thee. Ah, Mary, dost thou sigh 
after Jesus, thou who lovest none but Jesus ? Leave 
sighing to me and so many other sinners who do not 
love him, and who have lost him by offending him. 
My most amiable mother, if through my fault thy Son 
has not yet returned to my soul, wilt thou obtain for 
me that I may find him. I know well that he allows 
himself to be found by all who seek him : The Lord 

* Dilectus meus mihi, et ego illi, qui paseitur inter lilia. 
Cant. ii. 16. 


560 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


is good to the soul that seeketh him : “ Bonus est 
Dominus . . . animse quaerenti ilium.”* Make me to 
seek him as I ought to seek him. Thou art the gate 
through which all find Jesus; through thee I too hope 
to find him. 


ON THE FOURTH DOLOR. 

OF THE MEETING OF MARY WITH JESUS, WHEN HE WENT TO DEATH. 

St. Bernardine says, that to form an idea of the 
grief of Mary in losing her Jesus by death, it is neces- 
sary to consider the love that this mother bore to this 
her Son. All mothers feel the sufferings of their 
children as their own. Hence the woman of Chanaan, 
when she prayed the Saviour to deliver her daughter 
from the devil that tormented her, said to him, that 
he should have pity on the mother rather than on the 
daughter : “ Have mercy on me, oh Lord, thou son 
of David, my daughter is grievously troubled by a 
devil. ”f But what mother ever loved a child so much 
as Mary loved Jesus ? He was her only child, reared 
amidst so many troubles and pains ; a most amiable 
child, and most loving to his mother ; a Son, who was 
at the same time her Son and her God ; who came 
on earth to kindle in the hearts of all the holy fire of 
divine love, as he himself declared : “ I am come to 

* Thren. iii. 25. 

t Miserere mei, Domine fili David, filia mea male a dicmone 
vexatur. Matth. xv. 22. 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


561 


cast fire on the earth, and what will I but that it be 
kindled ?”* Let us consider how he must have in- 
flamed that pure heart of his holy mother, so free 
from every earthly affection. In a word, the blessed 
Virgin herself .said to St. Bridget, that through love 
her heart and the heart of her Son was one : “ Unum 
erat cor meum, et cor filii mei.” That blending of 
handmaid and mother, of Son and God, kindled in 
the heart of Mary a fire composed of a thousand 
flames. But afterwards, at the time of the passion, 
this flame of love was changed into a sea of sorrow. 
Hence St. Bernardine says : All the sorrows of the 
world united would not be equal to the sorrow of the 
glorious Mary.f Yes, because this mother, as St. 
Lawrence Justinian writes: The more tenderly she 
loved, was the more deeply wounded. J The greater 
the tenderness with which she loved him, the greater 
was her grief at the sight of his sufferings, especially 
when she met her Son, after he had already been 
condemned, going to death at the place of punish- 
ment, bearing the cross. And this is the fourth sword 
of sorrow which to-day we have to consider. 

The blessed Virgin revealed to St. Bridget, that at 
the time when the passion of our Lord was drawing 
nigh, her eyes were always filled with tears, as she 

* Ignem veni mittere in terram, et quid volo, nisi ut accenda- 
tur. Luc. xii. 49. 

f Omnes dolores mundi, si essent simul conjuncti, non essent 
tanti quantus dolor gloriosae Marise. Tom. iii. 5, 45. 

f Quanto dilexit tenerius, tanto est vulnerata profundius. 


562 


GLORIES OF MARY. 

thought of her beloved Son whom she was about to 
lose on this earth. Therefore, as she also said, a cold 
sweat covered her body from the fear that seized her 
at that prospect of approaching suffering.* Behold, 
the appointed day at length arrived, and J esus came 
in tears to take leave of his mother before he went to 
death. St. Bonaventure, contemplating Mary on that 
night, says : Thou didst spend it without sleep, and 
while others slept, thou didst remain watching.]* 
Morning having arrived, the disciples of Jesus Christ 
came to this afflicted mother, one, to bring her this 
tidings, another, that ; but all tidings of sorrow, for in 
her were then verified the words of Jeremias: “Weep- 
ing, she hath wept in the night, and her tears are on 
her cheeks ; there is none to comfort her of all them 
that were dear to her.”]; One came to relate to her 
the cruel treatment of her Son in the house of Cai- 
phas ; another, the insults received by him from Herod. 
Finally, for I omit all the rest to come to my point, 
St. John came, and announced to Mary that the most 
unjust Pilate had already condemned him to death 
upon the cross. I say the most unjust, for, as St. Leo 
remarks, this unjust judge condemned him to death 
with the same lips with which he had pronounced 

* Imminente passione filii mei, lacrymae erant in oculis meis, 
et sudor in corpore prae timore. L. 1, Rev. c. 10. 

+ Sine somno duxisti, et soporatis caeteris, vigil perman- 
sisti. 

X Plorans ploravit in nocte, et lacrymaa in maxillis ejus ; 
non est qui consolelur earn, ex omnibus charis ejus. Thren. 
i. 12. 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


563 


him innocent.* Ah, sorrowful mother, said St. John 
to her, thy Son has already been condemned to death, 
he is already on his way, bearing himself his cross on 
his way to Calvary, as he afterwards related in his 
Gospel : “ And bearing his own cross, he went forth to 
that place which is called Calvary. ”f Come, if thou 
dost desire to see him, and bid him a last farewell in 
some of the streets through which he is to pass. 

Mary goes with St. John, and she perceives by the 
blood with which the way was sprinkled, that her Son 
had already passed there. This she revealed to St. 
Bridget : “ By the footsteps of my Son I traced his 
course, for along the way by which he had passed, the 
ground was sprinkled with blood. St. Bonaventure 
imagines the afflicted mother taking a shorter way, 
and placing herself at the .corner of the street to meet 
her afflicted Son as he passed by.§ This most af- 
flicted mother met her most afflicted Son : Mcestissi- 
ma mater mcestissimo filio occurrit, said St. Bernard. 
While Mary stopped in that place how much she must 
have heard said against her Son by the Jews, who 
knew her, and perhaps also words in mockery of her- 
self ! Alas ! what a commencement of sorrows was 
then before her eyes, when she saw the nails, the 

* Iisdem labiis mittit ad mortem quibus eum pronuntiaverunt 
innocentem. 

f Et bajulans sibi crucem exivit in eum qui dicitur Calvarias - 
locum. Joan. xix. 17. 

% Ex vestigiis filii mei cognoscebam incessum ejus ; quo enim 
procedebat, apparebat terra infusa sanguine. L. 4, c. 77. 

§ Med. 6. 


564 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


hammers, the cords, the fatal instruments of the death 
of her Son borne before him ! And what a sword 
pierced her heart when she heard the trumpet pro- 
claiming along the way the sentence pronounced 
against her Son ! But behold, now, after the instru- 
ments, the trumpet, and the* ministers of justice had 
passed, she raises her eyes and sees ; she sees, oh God, 
a young man covered with blood and wounds from head 
to foot, with a crown of thorns on his head, and two 
heavy beams on his shoulders ; she looks at him and 
hardly knows him, saying, then, with Isaias : “ And 
we have seen him, and there was no sightliness.”* 
Yes, for the wounds, the bruises, and clotted blood, 
made him look like a leper : “We have thought him, 
as it were, a leper ;”f so that he could no longer be 
recognized. “ And his look was, as it were, hidden and 
despised, whereupon we esteemed him not.”J But at 
length love recognizes him, and as soon as she knows 
him, ah, what was then, as St. Peter of Alcantara 
says in his meditations, the love and fear of the heart 
of Mary ! On the one hand, she desired to see him ; 
on the other, she could not endure to look upon so 
pitiable a sight. But at length they look at each 
other. The Son wipes from his eyes the clotted 
blood, which prevented him from seeing (as was re- 
vealed to St. Bridget), and looks upon the mother ; 

* Et vidimus eum, et non erat aspectus. Isa. liii. 2. 

t Putavimus eum quasi leprosum. Isa. liii. 4. 

X Et quasi absconditus vultus ejus, et despectus, unde nec 
reputavimus eum. Isa. liii. 3. 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


565 


the mother looks upon the Son. Ah, looks of sorrow, 
which pierced, as with so many arrows, those two 
holy and loving souls. When Margaret, the daughter 
of Sir Thomas More, met her father on his way to the 
scaffold, she could utter only two words, oh, father ! 
oh, father ! and fell fainting at his feet. At the sight 
of her Son going to Calvary, Mary fainted not ; no, 
because it was not fitting that this mother should 'lose 
the use of her reason, as Father Suarez remarks, neither 
did she die, for God reserved her for a greater grief ; 
but if she did not die, she suffered sorrow enough to 
cause her a thousand deaths. 

The mother wished to embrace him, as St. Anselm 
says, but the officers of justice thrust her aside, load- 
ing her with insults, and urge onward our afflicted 
Lord. Mary follows. Ah, holy Virgin, where art 
thou going ? To Calvary ! And canst thou trust 
thyself to see him who is thy life hanging from a 
cross ? And thy life shall be as it were hanging be- 
fore thee : “ Et erit vita tua quasi pendens ante te.”* 
Ah ! my mother, stop, says St. Lawrence Justinian, 
as if the Son himself had then spoken to her ; where 
dost thou hasten ? Where art thou going ? If thou 
comest where I go, thou wilt be tortured with my 
sufferings, and I with thine. f But although the sight 
of her dying Jesus must cost her such cruel anguish, 
the loving Mary will not leave him. The Son goes 

* Deut. xxviii. 66. 

f Heu quo properas, quo venis mater ! Cruciatu meo cruci- 
aberis, et ego tuo. 


48 


566 GLORIES OF MARY. 

before, and the mother follows, that she may be cruci- 
fied with her Son, as William the Abbot says : The 
mother took up her cross, and followed him, that she 
might be crucified with him.* We even pity the wild 
beasts: “Ferarum etiam miser emur as St. John 
Chrysostom has said. If we should see a lioness fol- 
lowing her whelp as he was led to death, even this 
wild beast would call forth our compassion. And 
shall we not feel compassion to see Mary following her 
immaculate Lamb, as they are leading him to death ? 
Let us then pity her, and endeavor also ourselves to 
accompany her Son and herself, bearing with patience 
the cross which the Lord imposes on us. Why did 
Jesus Christ, asks St. John Chrysostom, desire to be 
alone in his other sufferings, but in bearing the cross 
wished to be helped by the Cyrenean? And he 
answers : That thou mayest understand that the cross 
of Christ is not sufficient without thine. f The cross 
alone of Jesus is not enough to save us, if we do not 
bear with resignation also our own, even unto death. 

EXAMPLE. 

The Saviour appeared one day to sister Diomira, a 
nun, in Florence, and said to her : “ Think of me, and 
love me, and I will think of thee, and love thee and 
at the same time he presented her with a bunch of 
flowers and a cross, signifying to her by this, that the 

* Tollebat et mater crucem suam, et sequebatur eum, crucifi- 
genda cum ipso. In Cant. 7. 

t Ut intelligas Christ! crucem non sufficere sine tua. 


GLORIES OF MART. 


567 


consolations of the saints on this earth are always to 
be accompanied by the cross. The cross unites souls 
to God. Blessed Jerome Emilian, when he was a 
soldier, and leading a very sinful life, was shut up by 
his enemies in a tower. There, feeling deeply his mis- 
fortune, and enlightened by God to amend his life, 
he had recourse to the most holy Mary, and then with 
the help of this divine mother, he began to live the 
life of a saint. By this he merited to see once in 
heaven the high place which God had prepared for 
him. He became founder of the order of Sommaschi, 
died a saint, and has been lately beatified by the holy 
Church. 


PRAYER. 

My sorrowful mother, by the merit of that grief 
w r hich thou didst feel at seeing thy beloved Jesus led 
to death, obtain for me the grace also to bear with 
patience those crosses which God sends me. Happy 
me, if I also shall know how to accompany thee with m 
my cross until death. Thou and Jesus, both innocent, 
have borne a heavy cross ; and shall I a sinner, who 
have merited hell, refuse mine ? Ah, immaculate 
Virgin, I hope that thou wilt help me to bear my 
crosses with patience. Amen. 


568 


GLORIES OF MART. 


ON THE FIFTH DOLOR. 

OF THE DEATH OF JESUS. 

And now we have to admire a new sort of martyr- 
dom, a mother condemned to see an innocent t son, 
whom she loved with all the affection of her heart, 
put to death before her eyes, by the most barbarous 
tortures. There stood by the cross of Jesus his 
mother : “ Stabat autem juxta crucem mater ejus.” 
There is nothing more to be said, says St. John, of 
the martyrdom of Mary : behold her at the foot of 
the cross, looking on her dying Son, and then see if 
there is grief like her grief. Let us stop then also 
to-day on Calvary, to consider this fifth sword that 
pierced the heart of Mary, namely, the death of 
Jesus. 

As soon as our afflicted Redeemer had ascended the 
hill of Calvary, the executioners stripped him of his 
garments, and piercing his sacred hands and feet with 
nails, not sharp, but blunt : “ Non acutis, sed obtusis;” 
as St. Bernard says,* and to torture him more, they 
fastened him to the cross. When they had crucified 
him, they planted the cross, and thus left him to die. 
The executioners abandon him, but Mary does not aban- 
don him. She then draws nearer to the cross, in order 
to assist at his death. “ I did not leave him,” thus 
the blessed Virgin revealed to St. Bridget, “ and stood 


* Serm. 2, dePass. 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


569 


nearer to his cross.”* But what did it avail, oh Lady, 
says St. Bonaventure, to go to Calvary to witness there 
the death of this Son ? Shame should have prevented 
thee, for his disgrace was also thine, because thou 
wast his mother ; or, at least, the horror of such a 
crime as that of seeing a God crucified by his own 
creatures, should have prevented thee.f But the saint 
himself answers : Thy heart did not consider the horror, 
but the suffering : “Non considerabat cor tuum hor- 
rorem, sed dolorem.” Ah, thy heart did not then 
care for its own sorrow, but for the suffering and death 
of thy dear Son; and therefore thou thyself didst 
wish to be near him, at least to compassionate him. 
Ah, true mother ! says William the Abbot, loving 
mother ! for not even the terror of death could sep- 
arate thee from thy beloved Son.J But, oh God, what 
a spectacle of sorrow, to see this Son then in agony 
upon the cross, and under the cross this mother in 
agony, who was suffering all the pain that her Son 
was suffering ! Behold the words in which Mary re- 
vealed to St. Bridget the pitiable state of her dying 
Son, as she saw him on the cross: “My dear Jesus 
was on the cross in grief and in agony ; his eyes were 
sunken, half closed, and lifeless ; the lips hanging, and 

* Ego non separabar ab eo, et stabam vicinior cruci ejus. 

L. 1, c. 6. 

t Cur ivisti, 0 Domina, ad Calvarias locum ? cur te non re- 
tinuit pudor, horror facinoris ? 

% Plane mater, quae nec in terrore mortis filium deserebat. 
Serm. 3, de Ass. 


48 * 


570 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


the mouth open ; the cheeks hollow, and attached to 
the teeth ; the face lengthened, the nose sharp, the 
countenance sad ; the head had fallen upon his breast, 
the hair black with blood, the stomach collapsed, the 
arms and legs stiff, and the whole body covered with 
wounds and blood/’* 

Mary also suffered all these pains of Jesus. Every 
torture inflicted on the body of Jesus, says St. Jerome, 
was a wound in the heart of the mother.f Any one 
of us who should then have been on Mount Calvary, 
would have seen two altars, says St. John Chrysos- 
tom, on which two great sacrifices were consummating, 
one in the body of Jesus, the other in the heart of 
Mary. But rather would I see there, with St. Bona- 
venture, one altar only, namely, the cross alone of the 
Son, on which, with the victim, this divine Lamb, the 
mother also was sacrificed. Therefore the saint in- 
terrogates her in these words: Oh Lady, where art 
thou? Near the cross? Nay, on the cross, thou art 
crucified with thy Son.J St. Augustine also says the 
same thing: The cross and nails of the Son were 
also the cross and nails of the mother ; Christ being 
crucified, the mother was also crucified.§ Yes, be- 
cause, as St. Bernard says, love inflicted on the heart 

* L. 1, Rev. c. 10, et 1. 4, c. 70. 

t Quot lsesiones in corpore Christi, tot vulnera in corde matris. 
Ap. Bald. to. 1, p. 499. 

X 0 Domina, ubi stas? Numquid juxta crucem? Imo in 
cruce cum filio cruciaris ? Ap. Bald. tom. 1, p. 452. 

§ Crux et clavi filii fuerunt et matris ; Christo crucifixo cru- 
eifigebatur et mater. 

» 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


571 


of Mary the same suffering that the nails caused in 
the body of Jesus.* * * § Therefore, at the same time that 
the Son was sacrificing his body, the mother, as St. 
Bernardine says, was sacrificing her soul.f 

Mothers fly from the presence of their dying chil- 
dren ; but if a mother is ever obliged to witness the 
death of a child, she procures for him all possible 
relief ; she arranges the bed, that his posture may be 
more easy ; she administers refreshments to him ; and 
thus the poor mother relieves her own sorrows. Ah, 
mother, the most afflicted of all mothers ! oh Mary, 
it was decreed, that thou shouldst be present at the 
death of Jesus, but it was not given to thee to afford 
him any relief. Mary heard her Son say : I thirst : 
“ Sitio but it was not permitted her to give him a 
little water to quench his great thirst. She could 
only say to him, as St. Vincent Ferrer remarks: My 
Son, I have only the water of my tears : “ Fili, non 
habeo nisi aquam lacry marum. She saw that her 
Son, suspended by three nails to that bed of sorrow, 
could find no rest. She wished to clasp him to her 
heart, that she might give him relief, or at least that 
he might expire in her arms, but she could not.§ She 
saw that poor Son in a sea of sorrow, seeking one 

* Quod in earne Christi agebant clavi, in Virginis mente affcc- 
tus erga filium. 

„ f Dum illi corpus, ista spiritum immolabat. To. 1, Serm. 81. 

X Ap. Bald. p. 456. 

§ Volebat eum amplecti sed manus frustra protensse in se 
complex® redibant. Ap. Bald. 463. 


572 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


who could console him, as he had predicted by the 
mouth of the prophet : “I have trodden the wine- 
press alone ; I looked about and there was none to 
help ; I sought and there was none to give aid.”* 
But who was there among men to console him, if all 
were his enemies ? Even on the cross they cursed 
and mocked him on every side : “And they that passed 
by blasphemed him, wagging their heads. ”f Some 
said to him : “ If thou be the Son of God, come down 
from the cross. Some exclaimed : “ He saved others, 
himself he cannot save.”§ Others said : “ If he be 
the King of Israel, let him now come down from the 
cross. ”|| The blessed Virgin herself said to St. 
Bridget : “I heard some call my Son a thief ; I heard 
others call him an impostor ; others said that no one 
deserved death more than he ; and every word was to 
me a new sword of sorrow. 

But what increased most the sorrows which Mary 
suffered through compassion for her Son, was to hear 
him complain on the cross that even the eternal Father 
had abandoned him : “ My God, my God, why hast 
thou forsaken me ?”** Words which, as the divine 


*• Torcular calcavi solus . . . Circumspexi, et non est auxilia- 
tor; qusesivi, et non fuit qui adjuvaret. Isa. lxiii. 8, 5. 

t Prsetereuntes autem blaspbemabant eum moventes capita 
sua. Matt, xxvii. 39. 

X Si filius Dei es, descende de cruce. 

§ Alios salvos fecit, seipsum non potest salvum facere. 

|| Si rex Israel est, descendat nunc de cruce. Loc. cit. 

1 Rev. 1. 4, c. 70. 

** Deus, Deus meus, ut quid dereliquisti me ? Matth. xxvii. 46. 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


573 


mother herself said to St. Bridget, could never depart 
from her mind during her whole life.* * * § Thus the af- 
flicted mother saw her Jesus suffering on every side ; 
she desired to comfort him, but could not. And what 
caused her the greatest sorrow was to see that, by her 
presence and her grief, she increased the sufferings of 
her Son. The sorrow itself, says St. Bernard, that 
filled the heart of Mary, increased the bitterness of 
sorrow in the heart of Jesus.f St. Bernard also says, 
that Jesus on the cross suffered more from compassion 
for his mother than from his own pains: he thus 
speaks in the name of the Virgin : I stood and looked 
upon him, and he looked upon me ; and he suffered 
more for me than for himself. J The same saint also, 
speaking of Mary beside her dying Son, says, that she 
lived dying without being able to die : Near the cross 
stood his mother, speechless; living she died, dying 
she lived; neither could she die, because she was 
dead, being yet alive.§ Passino writes that Jesus 
Christ himself, speaking one day to the blessed Bap- 
tista Varana, of Camerino, said to her, that he was so 
afflicted on the cross at the sight of his mother in such 
anguish at his feet, that compassion for his mother 

* Rev. 1. 4, c. 70. 

f Eepleta matre, ad filium redundaret inundatio amaritudinis. 
Horn, in Ev. Stabat. 

% Stabam ego videns eum, ipse videns me, et plus dolebat de 
me quam de se. Ap. Simisc. Cons. 28. 

§ Juxta crucem stabat mater, vox illi non erat ; moriebatur vi- 
vens, vivebat moriens ; nee mori poterat, quia vivens mortua 
erat. De Lament. Virg. 


574 


GLORIES OF MART. 


caused him to die without consolation. So that the | 
blessed Baptista, being enlightened to know this suffer- I 
ing of Jesus, exclaimed : Oh my Lord, tell me no more 
of this thy sorrow, for I cannot bear it. 

Men were astonished, says Simon of Cassia, when 
th^v saw this mother then keep silence, without utter- 
ing a complaint in this great suffering.* But if the ‘ 
lips of Mary were silent, her heart was not so ; for she 
did not cease offering to divine justice the life of her 
Son for our salvation. Therefore we know that by 
the merits of her dolors she co-operated with Christ 
in bringing us forth to the life of grace, and therefore 
we are children of her sorrows : Christ, says Lansper- 
gius, wished her whom he had appointed for our 
mother to co-operate with him in our redemption ; for 
she herself at the foot of the cross was to bring us 
forth as her children.f And if ever any consolation 
entered into that sea of bitterness, namely, the heart 
of Mary, it was this only one ; namely, the knowledge 
that by means of her sorrows, she was bringing us to 
eternal salvation; as Jesus himself revealed to St. 
Bridget : “ My mother Mary, on account of her com- 
passion and charity, was made mother of all in heaven 
and on earth.”;); And, indeed, these were the last 

* Stupebant omnes qui noverant hujus hominis matrem, quod 
etiam in tantse angustioe pressura silentium servabat. 

t Voluit earn Cbristus cooperatricem nostrae redcmptionis 
adstare, quam nobis constituerat dare matrem; debebat enim 
ipsa sub cruce nos parere filios. Horn. 44, de Pass. Dom. 

X Maria mater mea, propter compassionem et charitatem fao- 
ta est mater omnium in ccelis et in terra. L. 1, c. 31. 


GLORIES OF MARY. 575 

words with which Jesus took leave of her before his 
death ; this was his last remembrance, leaving us to 
her for her children in the person of John, when he 
said to her : Woman, behold thy Son : “ Mulier ecce 
filius tuus.”* And from that time Mary began to 
perform for us this office of a good mother ; for, as 
St. Peter Damian declares, the penitent thief, through 
the prayers of Mary, was then converted and saved : 
Therefore the good thief repented, because the blessed 
Virgin, standing between the cross of her Son ancf that 
of the thief, prayed her Son for him ; thus rewarding, 
by this favor, his former service, f For as other au- 
thors also relate, this thief, in the journey to Egypt 
with the infant Jesus, showed them kindness; and 
this same office the blessed Virgin has ever continued, 
and still continues to perform. 

EXAMPLE. 

A young man in Perugia once promised the devil 
that if he would help him to commit a sinful act which 
he desired to do, he would give him his soul ; and he 
gave him a writing to that effect, signed with his 
blood. The evil deed was committed, and the devil 
demanded the performance of the promise. He led 
the young man to a well, and threatened to take him 

* Joan. xix. 26. 

f Idcirco resipuit bonus latro, quia B. Virgo inter cruces filii 
et latronis posita, filium pro latrone deprecabatur ; hoc suo be- 
neficio, antiquum latronis obsequium recompensans. Ap. Salm. 
to. 1, tr. 47. 


576 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


body and soul to hell if he would not cast himself into 
it. The wretched youth, thinking that it would be 
impossible for him to escape from his enemy, climbed 
the well-side in order to cast himself into it, but terri- 
fied at the thought of death, he said to the devil that 
he had not the courage to throw himself in, and that, 
if he wished to see him dead, he himself should thrust 
him in. The young man wore about his neck the 
scapular of the sorrowing Mary ; and the devil said 
to him : “ Take off that scapular, and I will thrust 
you in.” But the youth, seeing the protection which 
the divine mother still gave him through that scapu- 
lar, refused to take it off, and after a great deal 
of altercation, the devil departed in confusion. The 
sinner repented, and grateful to his sorrowful mother, 
went to thank her, and presented a picture of this 
case, as an offering, at her altar in the new church of 
Santa Maria, in Perugia.* 

PRAYER. 

Ah, mother, the most afflicted of all mothers, thy 
Son, then, is dead; thy Son so amiable, and who 
loved thee so much ! Weep, for thou hast reason to 
weep. Who can ever console thee? Nothing can 
console thee but the thought that Jesus, by his death, 
hath conquered hell, hath opened paradise, which was 
closed to men, and hath gained so many souls. From 
that throne of the cross he was to reign over so many 
hearts, which, conquered by his love, would serve him 

* Monum. Conv. Pec. ap. P. Siniscli. Sans. 16 . 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


577 


"with love. Do not disdain, oh my mother, to keep 
me near to weep with thee; for I have more reason 
than thou to weep for the offences that I have com- 
mitted against thy Son. Ah, mother of mercy, I hope 
for pardon and my eternal salvation, first through the 
death of my Redeemer, and then through the merits 
of thy dolors. Amen. 


ON THE SIXTH DOLOR. 

THE PIERCING OF THE SIDE OF JESUS, AND HIS DESCENT FROM THE 
CROSS. 

“Oh, all ye that pass by the way attend, and see 
if there be any sorrow like to my sorrow.”* Devout 
souls, listen to what the sorrowful Mary says to you 
to-day : My beloved children, I do not wish you to 
console me ; no, for my heart can never again be con- 
soled on this earth after the death of my dear Jesus. If 
you wish to please me, this I ask of you, turn to me 
and see if there has ever been in the world a grief like 
mine, when I saw him who was all my love torn from 
me so cruelly. But, oh Lady, since thou dost not 
wish to be consoled, and hast such a thirst for suffer- 
ing, I must say to thee that thy sorrows have not 
ended with the death of thy Son. To-day thou wilt 
be pierced by another sword of sorrow, when thou 
shalt see a cruel lance piercing the side of this thy Son, 

* 0 vos omnes qui transitis per viam, attendite et videte, si 

est dolor sicut dolor meus. Thren. i. 12. 

49 


578 


GLORIES OF MART. 


already dead, and shalt receive him in thy arms after 
he is taken from the cross. And now we are to con- 
sider to-day the sixth dolor which afflicted this sor- 
rowful mother. Attend and weep. Hitherto the 
dolors of Mary tortured her one by one, but to-day 
they are all united to assail her. 

To make known to a mother that her child is dead, 
is sufficient to kindle her whole soul with love for the 
lost one. Some persons, in order to lighten their 
grief, will remind mothers whose children have died, 
of the displeasure they have once caused them. But 
if I, oh my queen, should wish to lighten thy sorrow 
for the death of Jesus in this way, what displeasure 
has he ever caused thee, that I could recall to thy 
mind ? Ah, no ; he always loved thee, obeyed thee, 
and respected thee. Now thou hast lost him, and 
who can describe thy sorrow? Do thou who hast 
felt it explain it. A devout author says, that when 
our Redeemer was dead, the heart of the great mother 
was first engaged in accompanying the most holy soul 
of the Son, and presenting it to the eternal Father. 
I present thee, oh my God, Mary must then have 
said, the immaculate soul of thy and my Son, which 
has been obedient to thee even unto death : receive it, 
then, in thy arms. Thy justice is now satisfied, thy 
will accomplished ; behold, the great sacrifice to thy 
eternal glory is consummated. And then turning to 
the lifeless members of her Jesus : Oh wounds, she 
said, oh loving wounds, I adore you, I rejoice with 
you, since through you salvation has been given to 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


579 


the world. You shall remain open in the body of my 
Son, to be the refuge of those who will have recourse 
to you. Oh how many, through you, shall receive 
the pardon of their sins, and then through you shall 
be inflamed to love the Sovereign Good ! 

That the joy of the following Paschal Sabbath 
should not be disturbed, the Jews wished the body of 
Jesus to be taken down from the cross ; but because 
they could not take down a criminal until he was 
dead, they came with iron mallets to break his legs, 
as they had already done to the two thieves crucified 
with him. And Mary, while she remains weeping at 
the death of her Son, sees those armed men coming 
towards her Jesus. At this sight she first trembled 
with fear, then she said : Ah, my Son is already dead, 
cease to maltreat him, and cease to torture me a poor 
mother longer. She implored them not to break his 
legs : “ Oravit eos, ne frangerent crura,” as St. Bona- 
venture writes. But while she is thus speaking, oh, 
God ! she sees a soldier with violence brandishing a 
spear, and piercing the side of Jesus : “ One of the 
soldiers with a spear opened his side, and immediately 
there came out blood and water.”* The cross shook 
at the stroke of the spear, and, as was revealed to St. 
Bridget, the heart of Jesus was divided: “Ita ut 
ambse partes essent divis£e.”f There came out blood 
and water, for only a few drops of blood remained, 
and those also the Saviour wished to shed, in order to 

* Unus militum lancea latus ejus aperuit, et continue* exivit 
sanguis, et aqua. Joan. xix. 34. t Rev. k 2, c. 21. 


580 


GLORIES OF MART. 


show that he had no more blood to give us. The 
injury of that stroke was offered to Jesus, but the 
pain was inflicted on Mary : Christ, says the devout 
Lanspergius, shared with his mother the infliction of 
that wound, for he received the insult and his mother 
the pain.* * * § The holy Fathers explain this to be the 
very sword predicted to the Virgin by St. Simeon ; a 
sword, not of iron, but of grief, which pierced through 
her blessed soul in the heart of Jesus, where it al- 
ways dwelt. Thus, among others, St. Bernard says : 
The spear which opened his side passed through the 
soul of the Virgin, which could not be torn from the 
heart of Jesus. j* And the divine mother herself re- 
vealed the same to St. Bridget, saying : ‘"When the spear 
was drawn out, the point appeared red with blood ; 
then I felt as if my heart were pierced when I saw 
the heart of my most dear Son pierced.”+ The angel 
told St. Bridget, that such were the sufferings of 
Mary, that she was saved from death only by the 
miraculous power of God.§ In her other dolors she 
at least had her Son to compassionate her ; and now 
she had not even him to take pity on her. 

* Divisit Christus cum matre sua hujus vulneris poenam, ut 
ipse injuriam acciperet, mater dolorem. 

t Lancea quse ipsius latus aperuit, animam Virginis pertran- 
eivit, quse inde nequibat avelli. De Lament. Yirg. 

% Cum retraheretur hasta, apparuit cuspis rubea sanguine. 
Tunc miM videbatur quod quasi cor meum perforaretur, cum 
vidissem cor filii mei charissimi perforatum. Rev. c. 10. 

§ Non parvum miraculum a Deo factum est, quod R. Virgo 
tot doloribus sauciata spiritum non exhalarit. 


GLORIES OF MARY. 581 

The afflicted mother, still fearing that other injuries 
might be inflicted on her Son, entreats Joseph of 
Arimathea to obtain from Pilate the body of her Je- 
sus, that at least after his death she may be able to 
guard it and protect it from injuries. Joseph went to 
Pilate, and made known to him the sorrow and the 
wish of this afflicted mother ; and St. Anselm thinks 
that compassion for the mother softened the heart of 
Pilate, and moved him to grant her the body of the 
Saviour. And now Jesus is taken from the cross. 
Oh most holy Virgin, after thou with so great love 
hadst given thy Son to the world for our salvation, 
behold the world returns him to thee again ! But oh, 
my God, how dost thou return him to me ? said Mary 
to the world. My Son was white and ruddy : “ Di- 
lectus meus candidus et rubicundus but thou hast 
returned him to me blackened with bruises, and red, 
not with a ruddy color, but with the wounds thou 
hast inflicted upon him ; he was beautiful, now there 
is no more beauty in him ; he is all deformity. All 
were enamored with his aspect, now he excites horror 
in all who look upon him. Oh, how many swords, 
says St. Bonaventure, pierced the soul of this mother, 
when she received the body of her Son after it was 
taken from the cross : “ 0 quot gladii animam matris 
pertransierunt !” Let us consider what anguish it 
would cause any mother to receive the lifeless body 
of a son! It was revealed to St. Bridget, that to 
take down the body of Jesus, three ladders were 
placed against the cross. Those holy disciples first 

49 * 


682 


GLORIES OF MARY# 


drew out the nails from the hands and feet, and ac- 
cording to Metaphrastes, gave them in charge to 
idary. Then one supported the upper part of the 
oody of Jesus, the other the lower, and thus took it 
down from the cross. Bernardine de Bustis describes 
the afflicted mother as raising herself, and extending 
her arms to meet her dear Son ; she embraces him, 
and then sits down at the foot of the cross. She sees 
his mouth open, his eye shut, she examines the lacer- 
ated flesh, and those exposed bones ; she takes off the 
crown, and sees the cruel injury made by those thorns, 
in that sacred head; she looks upon those pierced 
hands and feet, and says : Ah, my Son, to what has the 
love thou didst bear to men reduced thee ! But what 
evil hast thou done to them, that they have treated 
chee so cruelly ? Thou wast my father, Bernardine 
de Bustis imagines her to say, my brother, my spouse, 
my delight, my glory, my all.* Oh, my Son, behold 
how I am afflicted, look upon me and console me ; 
but thou dost look upon me no more. Speak, speak 
to me but one word, and console me ; but thou dost 
speak no more, for thou art dead. Then turning to 
those barbarous instruments, she said : Oh cruel thorns, 
oh nails, oh merciless spear, how could you thus tor- 
ture your Creator? But what thorns, what nails? 
Alas ! sinners, she exclaimed, it is you who have thus 
•cruelly treated my Son. 

Thus Mary spoke and complained of us. But if 

* Tu miM pater eras, tu frater, sponsus, mese delicice, mea 
gloria, tu mihi omnia eras. 


GLORIES OF MART. 


583 


now she were capable of suffering, what would she 
say ? What grief would she feel to see that men, 
after the death of her Son, continue to torment and 
crucify him by their sins ! Let us no longer give 
pain to this sorrowful mother ; and if we also have 
hitherto grieved her by our sins, let us now do what 
she directs. She says to us : Return, ye transgressors, 
to the heart : “ Redite, praevaricatores, ad cor.”* 
Sinners, return to the wounded heart of my Jesus; 
return as penitents, for he will receive you. Flee from 
him to him, she continues to say with Guerric the 
Abbot; from the Judge to the Redeemer, from the 
tribunal to the cross.f The Virgin herself revealed to 
St. Bridget that she closed the eyes of her Son when 
he was taken down from the cross, but she could not 
close his arms: “Ejus bracliia flectere non potui.” 
Jesus Christ giving us to understand by this, that he 
desired to remain with open arms to receive all peni- 
tent sinners who return to him. Oh world, continues 
Mary, behold, then, thy time is the time of lovers : 
“ Et ecce, tempus tuum, tempus amantium.”| Now 
that my Son, oh world, has died to save thee, this is 
no longer for thee a time of fear, but of love ; a time 
to love him who has desired to suffer so much in order 
to show thee the love he bore thee. Therefore, says 
St. Bernard, is the heart of Jesus wounded that, 

* Isa. xlvi. 8. 

t Ab ipso fuge ad ipsum, a judice ad redemptorem, a tribunali 
ad crucem. 

\ Ezech. xvi. 8. 


il 


584 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


through the visible wound, the invisible wound of love 
may be seen/* * * § If, then, concludes Mary, in the 
words of the Abbot of Celles, my Son has wished his 
side to be opened that he might give thee his heart, f 
it is right, oh man, that thou shouldst give him thy 
heart. And if yo\i wish, oh children of Mary, to find 
a place in the heart of Jesus without fear of being cast 
out, go, says Ubertino of Casale, go with Mary, for 
she will obtain grace for you and in the following 
example we have a beautiful proof of this. 

EXAMPLE. 

The Disciple relates§ that there was once a poor 
sinner who, among other crimes, had killed his father 
and a brother, and therefore became a fugitive. Hap- 
pening to hear one day during Lent, a sermon upon 
the divine mercy, he went to the preacher himself to 
make his confession. The confessor having heard his 
crimes, sent him to an altar of the sorrowful mother 
to pray that she might obtain for him compunction 
and pardon of his sins. The sinner obeyed, and began 
to pray, when behold, suddenly overpowered by con- 
trition, he falls down dead. On the following day 
when the priest recommended to the people to pray 


* Propterea vulneratum est cor Cliristi, lit per vulnus visibile 
vulrms amoris invisibilis videatur. Serm. de pass. Dom. 

t Prse nimio amore apernit sibi latus, ut prseberet cor suum. 

% Filii hujus matris, ingredite urn ipsa intra penetralia cordis 
Jesu. 

§ Promt. Ex. Y. Miser. 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


585 


for the deceased, a white dove appeared in the church 
and let fall a card at the feet of the priest. He took 
it up, and found these words written on it : “ The soul 
of the dead, when it left the body, immediately went to 
paradise ; and do you continue to preach the infinite 
mercy of God.” 

PRAYER. 

Oh afflicted Virgin ! oh soul, great in virtues and 
great also in sorrows ! for both arise from that great 
fire of love thou hast for God ; thou whose heart can 
love nothing but God ; ah mother, have pity on me, 
for I have not loved God, and I have so much offended 
him. Thy sorrows give me great confidence to hope 
for pardon. But this is not enough ; I wish to love 
my Lord, and who can better obtain this for me than 
thou — thou who art the mother of fair love ? Ah 
Mary, thou dost console all, comfort me also. Amen. 


ON THE SEVENTH DOLOR. 

THE BURIAL OF THE BODY OF JESUS. 

When a mother is by the side of a suffering and 
dying child, she no doubt then feels and suffers all 
his pains ; but when the afflicted child is really dead 
and about to be buried, and the sorrowful mother 
takes her last leave of him, oh God ! the thought that 
she is to see him no more is a sorrow that exceeds all 
other sorrows. Behold, the last sword of sorrow 


586 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


■which we are to consider, when Mary, after being 
present at the death of her Son upon the cross, after 
having embraced his lifeless body, was finally to leave 
him in the sepulchre, never more to enjoy his beloved 
presence. 

But that we may better understand this last dolor, 
let us return to Calvary, again to look upon the afflicted 
mother, who stilJ holds, clasped in her arms, the life- 
less body of her Son. Oh my Son, she seems then 
to continue to say in the words of Job, my Son, thou 
art chano-ed to be cruel towards me : “ Mutatus es 

O 

mihi in crudelem.”* Yes, for all thy beauty, grace, 
virtue, and loveliness, all the signs of special love thou 
hast shown me, the peculiar favors thou hast bestowed 
on me, are all changed into so many darts of sorrow, 
which the more they have inflamed my love for thee, 
so much the more cause me cruelly to feel the pain 
of having lost thee. Ah, my beloved Son, in losing 
thee I have lost all. Thus St. Bernard speaks in her 
name : Oh truly begotten of God, thou wast to me a 
father, a son, a spouse ; thou wast my life ! Now I 
am deprived of my father, my spouse, and my Son, 
for with my Son whom I have lost, I lose all things.f 

Thus Mary, clinging to her Son, was dissolved in 
grief ; but those holy disciples, fearing lest this poor 
mother would expire there through agony, went to 

* C. xxx. 21. 

f 0 vere Dei nate, tu nihi pater, tu mihi films, tu mihi spon- 
sus, tu mihi anima eras ! Nunc orbor patre, viduor sponso, de- 
solor filio, uno perdito filio omnia perdo. De Lam. Y. Mar. 


GLORIES OF MART. 


587 


take the body of her Son from her arms, to bear it 
away for burial. Therefore, with reverential force 
they took him from her arms, and having embalmed 
him, wrapped him in a linen cloth already prepared, 
upon which our Lord wished to leave to the world 
his image impressed, as may be seen at the present 
day in Turin. And now they bear him to the sepul- 
chre. The sorrowful funeral train sets forth ; the dis- 
ciples place him on their shoulders ; hosts of angels 
from heaven accompany him ; those holy women fol- 
low him; and the afflicted mother follows in their 
company her Son to the grave. When they had 
reached the appointed place, how gladly would Mary 
have buried herself there alive with her Son ! “ Oh 

how willingly,” said the Virgin to St. Bridget, “ would 
I have remained there alive with my Son, if it had 
been his will !”* But since this was not the divine 
will, the authors relate that she herself accompanied 
the sacred body of Jesus into the sepulchre, where, 
as Baronius narrates, they deposited the nails and the 
crown of thorns. In raising the stone to close the 
sepulchre, the disciples of the Saviour had to turn to 
the Virgin, and say to her: Now, oh Lady, we must 
close the sepulchre ; have patience, look upon thy 
Son and take leave of him for the last time. Then, 
oh my beloved Son, must the afflicted mother have 
said, then shall I see thee no more ? Receive, then, 
this last time that I look upon thee, receive the last 

* 0 quam libenter tunc poaita fuissem viva cum filio meo, si 
fuisset voluntas ejus ! Rev. 1. 1, 


588 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


farewell from me thy dear mother, and receive my 
heart which I leave buried with thee. The Virgin, 
says St. Fulgentius, earnestly desired that her soul 
should be buried with the body of Christ.* And 
Mary herself made this revelation to St. Bridget : “ I 
can truly say, that at the burial of my Son, one sepul- 
chre contained as it were two hearts. ”f 

Finally, they take the stone and close up in the 
holy sepulchre the body of Jesus, that great treasure, 
greater than any in heaven and on earth. And here 
let us remark, that Maiy left her heart buried with 
Jesus, because Jesus was all her treasure: “Where 
your treasure is, there will your heart be alsoJ’J; And 
where shall we keep our hearts buried ? With crea- 
tures ? In the mire ? And why not with Jesus, who, 
although he has ascended to heaven, has wished to 
remain, not dead but alive, in the most holy sacrament 
of the altar, precisely in order that he may have with 
him and possess our hearts ? But let us return to 
Mary. Before quitting the sepulchre, according to St. 
Bona venture, she blessed that sacred stone, saying : 
Oh happy stone that doth now inclose that body 
which was contained nine months in my womb, I bless 
thee, and envy thee ; I leave thee to guard my Son 
for me, who is my only good, my only love. And 

* Animam cum corpore Christi contumulari Virgo veliementer 
exoptavit. 

t Vere dicere possum, quod sepulto filio meo quasi duo corda 
iu uno sepulchro fuerunt. Rev. 1. 2, c. 21. 

X Ubi thesaurus vester est, ibi et cor vestrum erit. Luc. xii. 84. 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


589 


then turning to the eternal Father, she said: Oh 
Father, to thee I recommend him, who is thy Son and 
mine; and thus bidding a last farewell to her Son, 
and to the sepulchre, she returned to her own house. 
This poor mother went away so afflicted and sad, 
according to St. Bernard, that she moved many to 
tears even against their will : “ Multos etiam in vitos 
ad lacrymas provocabat so that wherever she passed, 
all wept who met her : “ Omnes plorabant qui obvi- 
abant ei,” and could not restrain their tears. And he 
adds, that those holy disciples, and the women who 
accompanied her, mourned for her even more than for 
their Lord.* 

St. Bonaventure says, that her two sisters covered 
her with a mourning cloak : The sisters of our Lady 
wrapped her in a veil as a widow, covering as it were 
her whole countenance.! And he also says, that pass- 
ing, on her return, before the cross, still wet with the 
blood of her Jesus, she was the first to adore it : Oh 
holy cross, she exclaimed, I kiss thee and adore thee ; 
for thou art no longer an infamous wood, but a throne 
of love, and an altar of mercy, consecrated by the 
blood of the divine Lamb, who has been sacrificed 
upon thee, for the salvation of the world. She then 
leaves the cross and returns to her house ; there the 
afflicted mother casts her eyes around, and no longer 
sees her Jesus ; but instead of the presence of her 

* Super ipsam potius, quam super Dominum plangebant. 

t Sorores Dominae velaverunt earn tamquam viduam; co- 
operientes quasi totum vultum. 

50 


590 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


dear Son, all the memorials of his holy life and cruel 
death are before her. There she is reminded of the 
embraces she gave her Son in the stable of Bethlehem, 
of the conversations held with him for so many years 
in the shop of Nazareth: she is reminded of their 
mutual affection, of his loving looks, of the words of 
eternal life that came forth from that divine mouth. 
And then comes before her the fatal scene of that very 
day ; she sees those nails, those thorns, that lacerated 
flesh of her Son, those deep wounds, those uncovered 
bones, that open mouth, those closed eyes. Alas ! 
what a night of sorrow was that night for Mary ! The 
sorrowful mother turned to St. John, and said mourn- 
fully: Ah, John, where is thy Master? Then she 
asked of Magdalen : Daughter, tell me where is thy 
beloved ? Oh God ! who has taken him from us ? 
Mary weeps, and all those who are with her weep. 
And thou, oh my soul, dost thou not weep ! Ah, turn 
to Mary, and say to her with St. Bonaventure : Let 
me, oh my Lady, let me weep ; thou art innocent, I 
am guilty.* At least entreat her to permit thee to 
weep with her : “ Fac ut tecum lugeam.” She weeps 
for love, and thou dost weep through sorrow for thy 
sins. And thus weeping, thou mayest have the happy 

lot of him of whom we read in the following ex- 

o 

ample. 

* Sine, Domina mea, sine me Here ; tu innocens es, ego sum 
reus. 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


591 


EXAMPLE. 

Father Engelgrave relates,* that a certain religious 
was so tormented by scruples, that sometimes he was 
almost driven to despair, but having great devotion to 
Mary, the mother of sorrows, he had recourse to her 
in the agony of his spirit, and was much comforted 
by contemplating her dolors. Death came, and the 
devil tormented him more than ever with scruples, 
and tempted him to despair. When, behold our 
merciful mother, seeing her poor son so afflicted, ap- 
peared to him, and said to him : “ And why, oh my 
son, art thou so overcome with sorrow, thou who hast 
so often consoled me by thy compassion for my sor- 
rows ?f Be comforted,” she said to him ; “ Jesus sends 
me to thee to console thee ; be comforted, rejoice, and 
come with me to paradise.” And at these words the 
devout religious tranquilly expired, full of consolation 
and confidence. 

PRAYER. 

My afflicted mother, I will not leave thee alone to 
weep; no, I wish to keep thee company with my 
tears. This grace I ask of thee to-day: obtain for 
me a continual remembrance of the passion of Jesus, 
and of thine also, and a tender devotion to them, that 
all the remaining days of my life may be spent in 
weeping for thy sorrows, oh my mother, and for those 
of my Redeemer. I hope that these dolors will give me 
* Dom infra oet Nat. s. 2. 

f Et tu, fili mi, cur moerore conficeris, qui in moerore meo 
toties me consol atus es ? 


592 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


the confidence and strength not to despair at the hour 
of my death, at the sight of the offences I have com- 
mitted against my Lord. By these must I obtain par- 
don, perseverance, paradise, where I hope to rejoice 
with thee, and sing the infinite mercy of my God through 
all eternity : thus I hope, thus may it be. Amen, amen. 

Whoever wishes to practise the devotion of reciting 
the chaplet of the dolors of Mary, will find it at the 
end of the book. I composed this many years since, 
and insert it anew here for the convenience of the ser- 
vants of Mary, whom I pray in their charity to recom- 
mend me to her when they meditate upon her dolors. 

Oh Lady, who dost ravish the hearts of men with 
thy sweetness, hast thou not ravished mine? Oh, 
ravisher of hearts, when wilt thou restore to me my 
heart ? Do with it as with thine own, and place it in 
the side of thy Son. Then I shall possess what I 
hope for, because thou art our hope.* 


OF THE VIRTUES OF THE HOST HOLY MARY. 

St. Augustine says, that in order to obtain more 
certainly and abundantly the favor of the saints, it is 
necessary to imitate them, for when they see us prac- 

* 0 Domina, qua3 rapis corda hominum dulcore, nonne cor 
meum rapuisti ? 0 raptrix cordium, quando mihi restitues cor 
meum ? Guberna illud cum tuo, et in latere filii colloca. Tunc 
possidebo quod spero, quia tu es spes nostra. S. Bernard. Med. 
in Salv. Reg. ap. s. Bon. Stim. c. 19, part. 3. 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


593 


tising the virtues which they practised, then they are 
more moved to pray for us. The queen of saints, and 
our first advocate, Mary, after she has rescued a soul 
from the grasp of Lucifer, and has united her to God, 
wishes her to begin to imitate her example, otherwise 
she will not be able to enrich her, as she would wish, 
with her graces, seeing her so opposed to her in con- 
duct. Therefore Mary calls those blessed who dili- 
gently imitate her life : “ Now, therefore, children, 
hear me ; blessed are they that keep my ways.”* 
He who loves, is like, or seeks to make himself like, 
the person beloved, according to the celebrated prov- 
erb : Love either finds or makes like : “ Amor aut 
pares invenit aut facit.” Hence St. Jerome tells us, 
that if we love Mary, we must seek to imitate her, for 
this is the greatest honor we can pay her.f Richard 
says, those are and may call themselves true children 
of Mary, who strive to imitate her life : “ Filii Mariae 
imitatores ejus.” Let the child then endeavor, con- 
cludes St. Bernard, to imitate the mother, if he de- 
sires her favor; for when Mary sees that he honors her 
as a mother, she will treat and favor him as a child. 

Although there is little recorded in the Gospels of 
the virtues of Mary in particular, yet, when they tell 
us that she was full of grace, it is given us to under- 
stand that she had all the virtues, and all in the heroic 

* Nunc, ergo filii, audite me ; beati qui custodiunt vias meas. 
Prov. viii. 33. 

f Dileetissimi Mariam colite quam amatis, quia tunc vere 
amatis si imitari volueritis quam amatis. S. Hier. Serm. do 
Ass. ap. Lohn. 


50 * 


594 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


degree. So much so, that, as St. Thomas says, 
whereas the other saints have excelled, each in some 
one particular virtue, the blessed Virgin has excelled 
in all, and in all the virtues has been given us for an 
example.* * * § And St. Ambrose also says: Such was 
Mary, that her life alone is the example for all.f And 
he afterwards adds : Let the virginity and life of Mary 
be to you as an image, in which the form of virtue shines 
forth. From thence obtain the model of your life . . . 
what you should correct, what avoid, what re tain. J 
And because, as the holy Fathers teach, humility is the 
foundation of all the virtues, let us in the first place con- 
sider how great was the humility of the mother of God. 


SECTION i. 

OF THE HUMILITY OF MARY. 

Humility, says St. Bernard, is the foundation and 
guardian of the virtues ;§ and with reason, for without 
humility a soul can possess no other virtue. Let her 
possess all the virtues, they will all depart when hu- 

* Alii sanctorum specialia opera exercuerunt ; alius fuit eas- 
tus, alius humilis, alius misericors ; sed B. Virgo datur in exem- 
plum omnium virtutum. Opusc. 8. 

t Talis fuit Maria ut ejus unius vitae omnium disciplina sit. 
L. 2, de Virg. 

X Sit vobis tanquam in imagine descripta virginitas vitaque 
Marise, in qua refulget forma virtutis. Hincsumatis exempla 
vivendi .... quid corrigere, quid fugere, quid tenere debeatis. 
Loc. cit. 

§ Humilitas est fundamentum custosque virtutem. 


GLORIES OF MART. 


595 


mility departs. On the other hand, said St. Francis 
of Sales, in a letter to St. Jane de Chantal, God so 
loves humility that he instantly hastens to the soul in 
which he sees it.* This virtue, so lovely and so ne- 
cessary, was unknown in the world ; but the Son of 
God himself came on earth to teach it by his example, 
and he desired that in this we should especially strive 
to imitate him : “ Learn of me, because I am meek 
and humble of heart.”f And Mary, as she was the 
first and most perfect disciple of Jesus Christ in all 
the virtues, was so in that of humility, by which she 
merited to be exalted above all creatures. It was re- 
vealed to St. Matilda that the first virtue which the 
blessed mother especially practised from childhood, 
was humility. J 

The first act of humility of heart is to have an hum- 
ble opinion of ourselves ; and Mary always thought so 
lowly of herself, as was revealed to the same St. Ma- 
tilda, that although she saw so many more graces 
bestowed upon her than upon others, she preferred all 
others before herself.§ Rupert the Abbot, explaining 
that passage, “Thou hast wounded my heart, my 
sister, my spouse .... with one hair of thy neck,”|| 

* Vit. 1. 6, c. 2, s. 11. 

t Et discite a me, quia mitis sum, et humilis corde. Matth. 
xi. 29. 

\ Prima virtus in qua Virgo nata, et infans se singulariter 
exercuit, fait humilitas. 

§ Ita modeste de se sentiebat, ut cum tot gratias haberet, 
nulli se praetulit. 

j| Vulnerasti cor meum, soror mea sponsa ... in uno crine 
colli tui. Cant. iv. 9. 


596 


GLORIES OF MART. 


says, that this hair of the neck of the spouse was pre- 
cisely that humble opinion which Mary had of herself, 
with which she wounded the heart of God.* * * § Kot 
that the holy Virgin esteemed herself a sinner, for hu- 
mility is truth, as St. Theresa says, and Mary knew 
that she had never offended God ; nor that she did 
not confess having received greater graces from God 
than any other creature, for an humble heart always 
acknowledges the special favors of the Lord, that it 
may humble itself the more ; but the divine mother, 
by the greater light she had to see the infinite great- 
ness and goodness of her God, saw still more her own 
littleness, and therefore more than all others did she 
humiliate herself, and say with the spouse of the 
Canticles : “ Do not consider that I am brown because 
the sun hath altered my color. ”f Approaching him, 
I find myself black, as St. Bernard explains it : “ Ap- 
propinquans illi me nigram invenio.”| Yes, adds St. 
Bernardine, for the Virgin had always present before 
her eyes the divine majesty and her own nothingness. § 
As a beggar, when she is clothed with a costly gar- 
ment which has been given her, is not made proud by 
it, but humbles herself more before the giver, because 

* In uno crine, idest in nimia humilitate cordis tui. Iste est 
crinis colli, humilis cogitatus .... Quid uno crine gracilius ? 
In d. 1. Cant. 4. 

+ Nolite, me considerare quod fusca sim, quia decoloravit me 
sol. Cant. i. 6. 

% Appropinquans illi me nigram invenio. 

§ Virgo continue habebat actualem relationem ad divinam 
majestatem, et ad sui nihilitatem. 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


597 


she is reminded then more of her poverty ; thus, Mary, 
the more she saw herself enriched, the more humble 
she became, remembering that all was the gift of 
God ; whence she herself said to St. Elizabeth, a 
Benedictine nun : “ Know for certain that I esteemed 
myself most abject, and unworthy of the grace of 
God.”* And therefore, says St. Bernardine, no crea- 
ture in the world has been more exalted, because no 
creature has ever humbled herself more than Mary.f 
Moreover, it is an act of humility to conceal the 
gifts of heaven. Mary wished to conceal from St. 
Joseph the grace of having been made the mother of 
God, although it seemed necessary to make it known 
to him, in order, at least, to remove from the mind of 
her poor spouse the suspicions he might have of her 
virtue, when he saw her pregnant; or at least his 
perplexity, for in fact St. Joseph, on the one side, un- 
willing to doubt the chastity of Mary, and, on the 
other, ignorant of the mystery, in order to free himself 
from perplexity, was minded to put her away pri- 
vately: “Voluit occulte dimittere eam.”j; And if the 
angel had not revealed to him that his spouse was 
pregnant by the operation of the Holy Spirit, he 
would really have left her. Moreover, an humble soul 
also refuses praise, and gives it all to God. Behold, 

* Pro firmo scias, quod me reputabam vilissimam et gratia 
Dei indignam. Ap. S. Bon. de Vit. Christ. 

f Sicut nulla post filium Dei creatura tantum ascendit in gra- 
tiae dignitatem, sic nee tantum descendit in abyssum humilita- 
tis. To. 2, Serm, 51, c. 3. 

% Matth. i. 19. 


598 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


Mary is disturbed at hearing herself praised by St. 
Gabriel. And when St. Elizabeth said to her, ‘‘Bless- 
ed art thou among women . . . and whence is this to 
me, that the mother of my Lord should come to 
me .... Blessed art thou that hast believed, &c.,”* 
Mary, referring all these praises to God, answered 
with that humble Canticle : My soul doth magnify 
the Lord : “ Magnificat anima mea Dominum,” as if 
she had said: You praise me, oh Elizabeth, but I 
praise the Lord, to whom alone honor is due ; you 
wonder that I come to you, and I wonder at the di- 
vine goodness in which alone my spirit exults. And 
my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour : “ Et ex- 
ultavit spiritus meus in Deo salutari meo.” You 
praise me because I have believed ; I praise my God, 
because he has wished to exalt my nothingness ; be- 
cause he hath regarded the humility of his handmaid : 
“ Quia, respexit humilitatem ancillae suse.” Hence 
Mary said to St. Bridget : “ Why did I humble my- 
self so far, or why have I merited so much grace, 
unless because I thought and knew that of and from 
myself I w r as nothing, and had nothing ? therefore I 
would have no praise for myself, but only for the 
Giver and Creator.]- Wherefore, speaking of the hu- 

* Benedicta tu in mulieres . . . Et unde hoc mihi ut veniat 
mater Domini mei ad me ? Et beata quse credidisti, &c. Luc. 
i. 42, 43, 44. 

t Ut quid enim ego me tantum humiliabam, aut promerui 
tantam gratiam, nisi quia cogitavi et scivi nihil a me esse vel 
habere. Ideo nolui laudem meam, sed solum datoris et creatoris. 
Eev. 1. 2, c. 23. 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


599 


mility of Mary, St. Augustine says : Oh truly blessed 
humility, which has brought forth God to men, opened 
paradise, and liberated souls from hell !* 

It is also a part of humility to serve others; and 
Mary did not refuse to go and serve Elizabeth for 
three months. Wherefore St. Bernard has said : 
Elizabeth wondered that Mary should come to visit 
her, but she should wonder still more that she did not 

t 

come to be ministered unto, but to minister.]- The 
humble retire and choose the lowest place ; and there- 
fore, as St. Bernard remarks, Mary, when her Son 
was preaching in a certain house, as St. Matthew re- 
lates,]; wished to speak with him, but would not enter 
the house unbidden. § Therefore, when she was in 
the “ upper room” with the apostles, she wished to 
take the lowest place, as St. Luke has related : “ All 
these were persevering with one mind in prayer, with 
the women and Mary the mother of Jesus.”|| Not 
that St. Luke did not know the merit of the divine 
mother, on account of which he should have given 
her the first place ; but because she had taken the 

* 0 vere beata humilitas, quse Deum hominibus peperit, para- 
disum aperuit, et animas ab inferis liberavit. Serm. 35, de 
Sanctis. 

t Venisse Mariam mirabatur Elisabeth, sed magis miretur 
quod ipsa non ministrari venerit, sed ministrare. Serm. de 
Nat. Virg. 

X C. 12. 

§ Foris stabat, nee materna auctoritate sermonem interrupit, 
nec in domum intravit ubi filius loquebatur. 

1 Hi omnes erant perseverantes unanimitur in oratione cum 
mulieribus, et Maria matre Jesu. Act. i. 14. 


600 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


lowest, after the apostles and the other women, there- 
fore St. Luke described all, as a certain author re- 
marks, just in the order of their places. Hence St. 
Bernard says : Justly has the last become first, who, 
when she was first of all, became last.* Finally, the 
humble love contempt ; therefore we do riot find that 
Mary appeared in Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, when 
her Son was received with so much honor by the peo- 
ple ; but, on the other hand, at the time of the death 
of her Son, she did not shrink from appearing in 
public on Calvary, through fear of the disgrace of 
being known as the mother of one who was condemned 
as a criminal to die by an infamous death. Therefore 
she said to St. Bridget : “ What more contemptible 
than to be called a fool, to be in want of all things, 
to believe one’s self the most unworthy of all ? Such, 
oh daughter, was my humility, this was my joy, this 
my entire will, with which I thought of nothing but to 
please my Son.”f 

The venerable sister Paula of Foligno was given 
to understand in an ecstasy how great was the humility 
of the holy Virgin. In relating what she had seen to 
her confessor, she said, scarcely able to utter the words 
through astonishment : “ Oh the humility of the blessed 
* 

* Merito facta novissima prima, quae cum prima esset omnium, 
se novissimam faciebat. Serm. Sup. Si. Mar. 

t Quid contemtibilius quam vocari fatua, omnibus indigere, 
omnibus indigniorem se credere? Talis 0 Alia, fuit liumilitas 
mea, hoc gaudium meum, hsec voluntas tota, qua nulli nisi filio 
meo placare cogitabam. 


GLORIES OF MART. 


601 


Virgin ! Oh father ! oh the humility of our blessed 
Lady ! In the world there is no humility, not even the 
lowest degree of humility, to be compared with the 
humility of Mary.” And our Lord, at another time, 
showed St. Bridget two females, one all pomp and 
vanity : “ This one,” he said, “is Pride ; but the other 
whom you see with her head bent down, respectful to 
all, having God alone in her mind, and having no 
esteem for herself, is Humility, and is called Mary.”* 
By this God wished to make known to us that his 
blessed mother was so humble that she was humility 
itself. 

It is not to be doubted, as St. Gregory of Nyssa 
says, that for our nature, corrupted by sin, there is 
perhaps no virtue more difficult to practise than hu- 
mility. But there is no escape ; we can never be true 
children of Mary if we are not humble. If, says St. 
Bernard, you cannot imitate the virginity, imitate the 
humility of the humble Virgin. f She abhors the 
proud, she invites none to come to her but the hum- 
ble : Whosoever is a little one, let him come to me : 
“ Si quis est parvulus, veniat ad me.” Mary, says 
Richard, protects us under the mantle of humility : 
“Maria protegit nos sub pallio liumilitatis.” The 
mother of God herself explained this to St. Bridget, 
saying : “ Come, then, oh my daughter, and hide 
thyself under my mantle ; this mantle is my hu- 

* Rev. 1. 1, c. 29. 

f Si non potes virginitatem, humilis, imitare liumilitatem 
Virginis. Ho. 1, Sup. Miss. 


51 


602 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


mility.”'* * * § And she then added, that the contemplation 
of her humility was a good mantle, that keeps us warm ; 
hut, as she afterwards said : “ The mantle only warms 
him who wears it, not only in thought but in fact ; thus 
my humility does not profit unless every one strives to 
imitate it. Therefore, my daughter,” she concludes, 
“ clothe thyself with this humility. Oh, how dear 
to Mary is the humble soul ! St. Bernard writes : 
The Virgin recognizes and loves those who love her, 
and she is near to all who invoke her, especially to 
those whom she sees like herself in chastity and hu- 
mility. \ Wherefore the saint then exhorts all those who 
love Mary, to be humble : Emulate this virtue if you 
love Mary.§ Marino, or Martino d’ Alberto, of the 
Society of Jesus, through love of the Virgin, was 
accustomed to sweep the house and collect the filth. 
The divine mother once appeared to him, as Father 
Nierembergh relates in his Life, and as if thanking 
him, said : “ How dear to me is this humble action 
done for love of me !” Then, oh my queen, I shall 
never be a true child of thine, if I am not humble. 
But do you not see that my sins, after having rendered 
me ungrateful to my Lord, have also made me proud ? 

* Ergo et tu, filia mea veni, et absconde te sub mantello meo : 
hie mantellus humilitas mea est. 

t Nee humilitas mea proficit, nisi unusquisque studuerit earn 
imitari. Ergo, filia mea, induere hac humilitate. 

% Agnoscit Virgo et diligit diligentes se, et prope est invo- 
cantibus se ; prajsertim iis quos videt conformes sibi faetos in 
castitate et humilitate. In Salv. Reg. 

§ JSmulamini hanc virtutem, si Mariam diligitis. Loc. cit. 


GLOEIES OF MAEY. 


603 


Oh, my mother, cure me ; by thy merits obtain for 
me that I may be humble, and thus become a child 
of thine. Amen. 


SECTION II. 

OF THE CHARITY OF MARY TOWARDS GOD. 

St. Anselm says, that where there is the greatest 
purity, there is the greatest charity : “ Ubi major 
puritas, ibi major charitas.” The purer and more 
emptied of self is a heart, the more it will be filled 
with charity towards God. Most holy Mary, because 
she was all humility, and entirely emptied of self, was 
entirely filled with the divine love, so that she sur- 
passed all men and all angels in love to God, as St. 
Bernardine teaches.* Therefore St. Francis of Sales 
has justly called her: The queen of love. The Lord 
indeed has given to men the precept to love him with 
their whole heart : “ Thou shalt love the Lord thy 
God with thy whole heart ;”f but, as St. Thomas de- 
clares, this precept will never be perfectly fulfilled by 
men on this earth, but in heaven. J And here the 
blessed Albertus Magnus remarks, that in a certain 
sense, it would be unbecoming for God to give a com- 


* Superat omnium creaturarum amores in filium suum. 
t Diliges Dominum Deum tuum ex toto corde tuo. Matt, 
xxii. 37. 

\ Plene et perfecte in patria implebitur hoc praeceptum ; in 
via autem impletur, sed imperfecte. 2, 2. q. 24, vid. a. 6, 8. 


604 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


mandment which none could perfectly fulfil, if the 
divine mother had not perfectly fulfilled it. These 
are the words of Albertus : Either some one fulfils 
this precept or no one ; if any one, it is the most 
blessed Virgin.* And this is confirmed by Richard 
of St. Victor, who says : The mother of our Emman- 
uel was perfect in all virtues. Who has ever fulfilled, 
as she did that first commandment : “ Thou shalt love 
the Lord thy God with thy whole heart ?” In her 
the divine love was so ardent, that there could be no 
defect of any kind in her.f Divine love, says St. 
Bernard, so penetrated and pervaded the soul of Mary, 
that no part was left untouched by it, so that she 
loved with her whole heart, her whole soul, and her 
whole strength, and was full of grace. J Wherefore 
Mary might well have said : My beloved has given 
himself wholly to me, and I have given myself wholly 
to him : My beloved to me, and I to him : “ Dilectus 
meus mihi, et ego illi.”§ Ah, says Richard, well 
might even the seraphim descend from heaven to 

*• Aut aliquis implet hoc preceptum, aut nullus ; si aliquis, 
ergo beatissima Virgo. Super. Miss. c. 7-6. 

+ Emmanuelis nostri puerpera in omni fuit virtutum con- 
summatione perfecta. Quis illud primum mandat um sic un- 
quam implevit : Diliges Dominum Deum tuum ex toto corde 
tuo ? In ea divinus amor adeo concaluit, ut qualiscumque 
defectus in earn incidere non posset. L. 2, de Em. c. 26. 

X Amor Christi Marias animam non modo confixit, sed etiam 
pertransivit ; ut nullam in pectore virginali particulam vacuam 
relinqueret, sed toto corde, tota anima, tota virtute diligeret, 
et esset gratia plena. Serm. 29, in Cant. 

§ Cant. ii. 10. 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


605 


learn from the heart of the Virgin how to love 
God.* 

God, who is love : “ Deus charitas est,”f came on 
earth to kindle in all men the flame of his holy love ; 
but he inflamed no heart so much as the heart of his 
mother, who, being entirely pure from every earthly 
affection, was perfectly ready to be enkindled by this 
blessed flame. Thus St. Jerome teaches. J Hence 
the heart of Mary became all fire and flames, as we 
read of her in the sacred Canticles : The lamps there- 
of are fire and flames : “ Lampades ejus, lampades ig- 
nis, atque flammarum. , ’§ Fire burning within, through 
love, as St. Anselm explains,! an( ^ A ames shining forth 
upon all, by the practice of virtue. Mary, therefore, 
when she bore Jesus in her arms, might indeed have 
called herself : Fire carrying fire : “ Ignis gestans 
ignem,” more properly than a certain woman who was 
carrying fire in her hand was so called by Hippocrates. 
Yes, for St. Ildephonsus said : As fire heats iron, the 
Holy Spirit so wholly inflamed Mary that nothing was 
seen in her but the flame of the Holy Ghost, nothing 
was felt but the fire of the love of God.^[ St. Thomas 

* Seraphim e coelo descend ere poterant, ut amorem discerent 
in corde virginis. 

f Joan. iv. 16. 

X Totam earn incanduerat divinus amor, ita ut nihil esset 
mundanum quod ejus Violaret affectum, sed ardor continuus, et 
ebrietas profusi amoris. Hier. aut. Sofron. Serm. de Ass. 

§ Cant. viii. 6. || Ap. a lap. 

T Mariam, velut ignis ferrum, Spiritus Sanctus totam ignivit; 
ita ut in ea Spiritus Sancti flamma tantum videatur, nec sentia- 
turnisi tantum ignis amoris Dei. De Ass. Or. 1. 

51 * 


606 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


of Villanova says that the bush which Moses saw en- 
tirely in flames without being consumed, was really a 
symbol of the heart of the Virgin. Wherefore with 
reason, as St. Bernard says, was she seen by St. John 
clothed with the sun : And there appeared a great 
wonder in heaven, a woman clothed with the sun : 
“ Et signum apparuit in coelo, mulier amicta sole.”* 
For, says the saint, she was so united to God by love 
that it Seems as if no creature could be more united to 
him. Mary, then, is justly described as clothed with 
the sun, for she has penetrated to an incredible depth 
the abyss of divine wisdom, so that, as far as it 
is permitted to a creature not personally united 
with God, she appears immersed in that inaccessible 
light.f 

Therefore St. Bonaventure asserts, that the holy 
Virgin was never tempted by the spirits of hell : For 
as flies, he says, are driven away by a great fire,, so 
from the heart of Mary, which was one flame of love, 
the devils fled, and did not even dare to approach 
her . I And Richard also says : The Virgin was terri- 
ble to the princes of darkness, so that they did not 
presume to approach and tempt her, for the flame of 

* Apoc. xii. 1. 

t Jure ergo Maria sole perbibetur amicta, quae profundissimam 
divinae sapientiae, ultra quam credi valeat, penetravit abyssum ; 
ut quantum sine personali unione creaturae conditio patitur, luci 
illi inaccessibili videatur immersa. Serm. in Sign. Magn. 

X Sicut magnus ignis effugat muscas, sic a sua inflammata 
charitate deem ones pellebantur, quod non ausi sint illi appropin- 
quare. To. 2, Serm. 61, a. 3. 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


607 


charity deterred them.* * * § Mary herself revealed to St. 
Bridget, that in this world she had no other thought, 
no other desire, no other joy, than God : I thought of 
nothing but God ; nothing pleased me but God : 
“ Nihil nisi Deum cogitabam, nulla mihi nisi Deus pla- 
cuerunt.” So that her blessed soul being, as it were, on 
this earth in a continual contemplation of God, the acts 
of love she made were innumerable ; as Father Suarez 
has declared: The acts of perfect love which the 
blessed Virgin made in this life were innumerable, for 
she passed almost her whole life in contemplation, and 
was very frequently repeating an act of love.f But 
Bernard de Bustis pleases me more when he says, that 
Mary did not so much repeat the acts of love in order, 
as other saints do, but, by a singular privilege, al- 
ways actually loved God with one continued act.J 
Like the royal eagle she kept her eye always fixed 
upon the divine Sun, so that, as St. Peter Damian 
says, neither did the actions of life prevent her from 
loving, nor love prevent her from acting.§ Thus, says 

* Virgo principibus tenebrarum terribilis fait, ut ad earn ac- 
cedere, eamque tentare non prtesumserint, deterrebat eos flamrna 
cbaritatis. P. c. 26, in Cant. 

t Actus perfect® charitatis, quos B. Virgo babuit in hac vita, 
inntmerabiles fuerunt, quae fere totam vitam in contemplatione 
transegit, et tunc amoris actum frequentissime repetebat. To. 
2, in 3, p. D. 18, S. 4. 

X Tamen ipsa gloriosissima Virgo de privilegio singulari con- 
tinue et semper Dcum amabat actualiter. P. 2, Serm. 4, de Nat. 
Virg. 

§ Adeo ut nec actio contemplationem minueret, et contempla- 
tio non desereret actionem. Serm. 1, de Nat. Virg. 


608 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


St. Germanus, Mary was prefigured by the altar of 
propitiation, on which the fire was never extinguished 
by day or by night. 

Neither did sleep interrupt the love of Mary for hei 
God. For if such a privilege was given to our first 
parents in the state of innocence, as St. Augustine as- 
serts, saying : Their dreams when sleeping were as 
happy as their life when waking : “ Tam felicia erant 
somnia dormientium, quam vita vigil antium,”* it cer- 
tainly could not be denied to the divine mother, as 
Suarez and Rupert the Abbot believe, with St. Ber- 
nardine and St. Ambrose, who has written concern- 
ing Mary : While her body rested, her soul watched : 
“Cum quiesceret corpus, vigilaret animus. ”f Thus 
were verified in her the words of the wise man : Her 
lamp shall not be put out in the night : “Non extin- 
guetur in nocte lucerna ejus.”J; ^es, for while her 
blessed body, with a light sleep, took its needed rest, 
her soul, says St. Bernardine, freely rose to God, so at 
that time her contemplation was more perfect than is 
that of any other person when awake. § Therefore 
could she well say with the spouse in the Canticles : 
I sleep and my heart watcheth : “ Ego dormio et cor 
meum vigilat.”|| Happy in sleep as in waking : “ Tam 
felix dormiendo, quam vigilando,” as Suarez says. In 

* L. 5, in Jul. c. 9. t L. 2, de Yirg. % Prov. xxxi. 18. 

§ Anima ejus libere tunc tendebat in Dcum ; unde illo tem- 
pore erat perfectior contemplatrix, quam unquam fuerit alius 
dum vigilavit. 

1 Cant. v. 2. • 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


609 


a word, St. Bernardine asserts, that Mary, while she 
lived on earth, was continually loving God : “ Mens 
Virginis in ardore dilectionis continue tenebatur.”* * * § 
And he adds further, that she never did any thing 
that she did not know was pleasing to God ; and that 
she loved him as much as she knew he ought to be 
loved.f Hence, according to blessed Albertus Mag- 
nus, it may be said that Mary was filled with so great 
charity that a greater was not possible in any pure 
creature on this earth. J For this reason St. Thomas 
of Villanova has said, that the Virgin, by her ardent 
charity, was made so beautiful and so enamored her 
God, that captivated as it were, by love of her, he 
descended into her womb to become man.§ Where- 
fore St. Bernardine exclaims : Behold a Virgin who 
by her virtue has wounded and taken captive the 
heart of God.|| 

But since Mary loves her God so much, she cer- 
tainly requires from her servants nothing else so much 

* To. 2, Serm. 51, a. 3, c. 3. 

f Nihil unquam elegit nisi quod divina sapientia demonstra- 
bat ; tantumque dilexit Deum, quantum a se diligendum existi- 
mabat. Loc. cit. 

% Creclimus etiam sine prsejudicio melioris sententioe, B. Vir- 
ginem in conceptione filii Dei charitatem talem accepisse qualis 
et quanta percipi poterat a pura creatura in statu vise. L. de 
Laud. Virg. c. ,96. 

§ Hsec Virgo sua pulchritudine Deum a coelis allexit, qui arao- 
re illius captus est, et humanitatis nostrae nexibus irretitus. 
Cone. 5, in Nat. Dom. 

| 0 virtus Virginis matris ! Una puella vulneravit et rapuit 
divinum cor ! To. 2, Serm. 61, a. 1, c. 4. 


610 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


as that they should love God as much as they can. 
And precisely this she said to the blessed Angela de 
Foligno one day after communion : “ Angela, may 
you be blessed by my Son ; seek to love him as much 
as you can.” And the blessed Virgin herself said to 
St. Bridget : Daughter, if you wish to bind me to you, 
love my Son : “ Si vis me tecum devincire, ama filium 
meum.” Mary desires nothing more than to see her 
beloved, who is God, loved by all. I^ovarino asks 
why the holy Virgin, with the spouse of the Canticles, 
begged the angels to make known to her Lord the 
great love she bore him, saying : “ I adjure you, oh 
daughters of Jerusalem, if you find my beloved, that 
you tell him that I languish with love.”* Did not 
God know how much she loved him ? Why does she 
desire to show the wound to her beloved who gave the 
wound ? “Cur vulnus ostendi quaerit dilecto qui vul- 
nus fecit ?” The same author answers, that the di- 
vine mother did not wish by this to make known her 
love to God, but to us ; that, as she was wounded, 
she might be able to wound us also with divine love : 
“Ut vulnerata vulneret.”f And because she was 
wholly inflamed with the love of God, she inflames all 
those who love and approach her, and renders them 
like herself. J For this reason St. Catharine of Sienna 

* Adjuro vos, filise Jerusalem, si inveneritis dilectum meum, 
ut nuncietis ei, quia amore langueo. Cant. v. 8. 

t L. 4, n. 306. 

X Quia tota ardens fuit, omnes se amantes eamque tangentes 
incendit, et sibi assimilat. 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


611 


called Mary : The bearer of the flame of divine love : 
“ Portatrix ignis.” If we also wish to burn with this 
blessed flame, let us always endeavor to draw near to 
our mother with prayers and affections. 

Oh queen of love, Mary, the most lovely, the most 
beloved, and the most loving of all creatures, as St. 
Francis of Sales said to thee : Ah, my mother, thou 
wert always wholly inflamed with love to God ; ah, 
deign to bestow on me at least one spark of it. 
Thou didst pray thy Son for that family whose wine 
had failed : They have no wine : “ Vinum non habent,” 
and wilt thou not pray for us, who are wanting in love 
to God, whom we are under such obligations to love ? 
Say to Jesus : They have no love : “ Amorem non 
habent.” Do thou obtain for us this love. We ask 
of thee no other favor than this. Oh mother, by the 
great love thou hast for Jesus, graciously hear us and 
pray for us. Amen. 


SECTION III. 

OF THE CHARITY OF MARY FOR HER NEIGHBOR. 

Love to God and our neighbor is commanded by 
the same precept : “ And this commandment we have 
from God, that he who loveth God, love also his 
neighbor.”* And St. Thomas gives it as a reason for 
this, that he who loves God, loves all things which 
God loves. St. Catherine of Genoa one day said to 

* Et hoc mandatum habemus a Deo, ut qui diligit Deum, di- 
ligat et fratrem sumn. 1 Joan. iv. 21. 


612 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


Y 


God : “ Oh Lord, it is thy will that I love my neighbor, 
and I can love none but thee.” God answered her in 
these words : “ He who loves me, loves all things loved 
by me.” But as there never has been and never will 
be one who loves God more than Mary ; so there never 
has been and never will be one who loves his neighbor 
more than Mary. Cornelius a Lapide, remarking on 
these words : “ King Solomon hath made him a litter 
of the wood of Libanus . . . the midst he covered with 
charity for the daughters of Jerusalem,”* says, that 
this litter was the womb of Mary, in which the incar- 
nate Word dwelt, filling the mother with charity, that 
she might succor all who had recourse to her.j* Mary 
was so full of charity when she was on earth, that she 
assisted unasked, those who were in need, just as she 
did at the marriage of Cana, when she told her Son 
of the trouble of the family : They have no wine : 
“ Yinum non habent,”j; and begged him to give them 
wine by a miracle. Oh ! how she hastened to the re- 
lief of her neighbor, when she went to the house of 
Elizabeth on an errand of charity : She went into the 
hill country in haste : “ Abiit in montana cum festina- 
tione.”§ She could in no way show greater charity 
than by offering her Son for our salvation ; so that 

* Ferculum fecit sibi rex Salomon .... media charitate con- 
stravit propter Alias Jerusalem. Cant. iii. 9. 

t B. Virginis sinus fuit ferculum ferens verbum; ideoque 
media charitate constratum propter Alias Jerusalem quia Chris- 
tus qui est ipsa charitas, maximam charitatem B. Yirgini as- 
pirant, ut ipsa ad illam recurrentibus opem ferret. 

X Joan. ii. 8. § Luc. i. 89. 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


613 


St. Bonaventure says : Mary so loved the world as to 
give her only-begotten Son.* Therefore St. Anselm 
addresses her in these words : Oh, blessed amono- wo- 
men, who dost excel the angels in purity, and the saints 
in pity !f Neither does the charity of Mary for us 
fail, says St. Bonaventure, now she is in heaven ; but 
is much increased there. Because now she sees more 
clearly the miseries of men.J Hence the saint said : 
Great was the mercy of Mary towards the wretched 
when she was still an exile on earth; but it is far 
greater now that she is reigning in heaven.§ And the 
angel said to St. Bridget, that there is no one who 
prays that does not receive graces through the charity 
of the Virgin. || Miserable should we be were Mary not 
to pray for us. Jesus Christ himself also said to the 
same saint : “ If the prayers of my mother did not 
interpose, there would be no hope of mercy. ”®|[ 
Blessed is he, says the divine mother, who hears my 
teachings and considers my charity, in order to prac- 
tise it towards others in imitation of me : “ Blessed is 
the man that heareth me, and that watcheth daily at 

* Sic Maria dilexit mundum, ut filium suum unigenitum 
daret. 

t 0 benedicta inter mulieres, quae angelos vincit puritate et 
sanctos superas pietate. 

X Quia magis nunc videt bominum miserias. Spec. c. 8. 

§ Magna fuit erga miseros misericordia Mariae adhuc exulan- 
tis in mundo, sed multo major est regnantis in coelo. Loc. cit. 

I! Ex dulcedine Mariae nuilua est, qui non per earn, si petitur, 
sentiat pietatem. Rev. 1. c. 3, 30. 

*[ Nisi preces matris meae intervenirent, non esset spes misc- 
ricordiae. L. 6, c. 29. 

52 


614 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


my gates, and waiteth at the posts of my doors.”* * * § 
St. Gregory Nazianzen says, that there is nothing by 
which we may more surely gain the love of Mary, than 
by the practice of charity towards our neighbor.f 
Hence, as God commands us, saying, “ Be ye merciful, 
as your Father also is merciful ;”J so Mary appears to 
say to all her children : Be ye merciful, as your mother 
also is merciful. § It is certain that God and Mary 
will show mercy to us, according to the charity we 
practise towards our neighbor. “ Give, and it shall 
be given to you.” “ For with the same measure that 
you shall mete withal, it shall be measured to you 
again.”|| St. Methodius said : Give to the poor and 
receive paradise : “ Da pauperi et accipe Paradisum:” 
for, according to the apostle, charity towards our 
neighbor renders us happy in this life and the next : 
“ But piety is profitable to all things, having promise 
of the life that now is, and of that which is to come.”^ 
St. John Chrysostom, remarking on the words of 
Proverbs, “ He that hath mercy on the poor, lendeth 


* Beatus liomo qui audit me, et qui vigilat ad fores meas 
quotidie, et observat ad postes ostii mei. Prov. viii. 34. 

+ Nulla res est quae Virginia benevolentiam conciliat, ac mise- 
ricordia. 

X Estote misericordes, »icut et pater vester misericors est. 
Luc. viii. 36. 

§ Estote misericordes sicut et mater vestra misericors est. 

1 Date et dabitur vobis ; eadem quippe mensura qua mensi 
fueritis, remetietur vobis. Luc. vi. 38. 

H Pietas autem ad omnia utilis est, promissionem habens 
vitae, quae nunc est, et futurae. 1 Tim. iv. 8. 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


615 


to the Lord,”* says, that he who assists the needy, 
makes God his debtor. f Oh mother of mercy, thou 
art full of charity for all. Do not forget my miseries. 
Thou dost even now see them. Recommend me to 
that God who denies thee nothing. Obtain for me 
the grace of being able to imitate thee in holy charity 
towards God and towards my neighbor. Amen. 


SECTION IV. 

OF THE FAITH OF MART. 

As the blessed Virgin is the mother of love and of 
hope, thus, also, is she the mother of faith. “ I am 
the mother of fair love, and of fear, and knowledge, 
and of holy hope.”]; And justly, says St. Irseneus, 
since Mary repaired by her faith that loss which Eve 
caused by her incredulity. § Eve, Tertullian also 
says, because she chose to believe the serpent rather 
than the Word of God, brought death into the world; 
but our queen, believing the words of the angel, that 
she, remaining a virgin, was to become the mother of 
the Lord, brought salvation to the world. || For St. 
Augustine says that Mary, giving her consent to the 
incarnation of the Word, by means of her faith 

* Foeneratur Domino qui miseretur pauperi. 

f Si Deo foeneratur is ergo nobis debitor est. 

X Ego mater pulcbrse dilectionis, et timoris, et agnitionis, et 
sanctse spei. Eccli. xxiv. 24. 

§ Quod Hevaligavit per incredulitatem, Maria solvit per fidem. 

|| Crediderat Heva serpenti, Maria Gabrieli ; quod ilia credendo 
deliquit, hsec credendo deievit. 


616 GLORIES OF MARY. 

opened paradise to men.* * * § Also Richard, comment- 
ing on the words of St. Paul, “For the unbelieving 
husband is sanctified by the believing wife,”f says : 
This is the believing woman by whose faith the un- 
believing Adam and all his posterity are saved. J 
Hence, on account of her faith, Elizabeth pronounced 
the Virgin blessed : Blessed art thou that hast be- 
lieved, because those things shall be accomplished in 
thee that were spoken by the Lord.§ And St. Au- 
gustine added : Mary is more blessed by receiving the 
faith of Christ than by conceiving the flesh of Christ.|| 

Father Suarez says that the holy Virgin had more 
faith than all men and all the angels. She saw her 
Son in the stable of Bethlehem, and believed him the 
Creator of the world. She saw him flying from 
Herod, and yet believed that he was the King of 
kings. She saw him born, and believed him to be 
eternal. She saw him poor and in need of food, and 
believed him to be Lord of the universe ; laid on straw, 
and she believed him omnipotent. She observed that 
he did not speak, and she believed him to be the in- 
finite Wisdom. She heard him weeping, and she be- 

* Fides Marias coelum aperuit, cum angelo nuncianti consensit. 

t Sanctificatus est enim vir infidelis per mulierem fidelem. 1 
Cor. vii. 14. 

\ Haec est mulier fidelis, per cujus fidem salvatus est Adam 
vir infidelis et tota posteritas. 

§ Beata quae credidisti quoniam perficientur ea, quae dicta 
sunt tibi a Domino. Luc. i. 45. 

1 Beatior Maria percipiendo fidem Christi, quam concipiendo 
carnem Christi. 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


617 


lieved him to be the joy of paradise. Finally, she 
saw him in death, despised and crucified, but although 
the faith of others might have wavered, Mary remained 
firm in the belief that he was God. St. Antoninus 
says, remarking on the words : There stood by the 
cross of J esus his mother : “ Stabat juxta crucem Jesu 
mater ejus,” Mary stood supported by her faith, 
which she retained firm in the divinity of Christ.* * * § 
And it is for this reason, says the saint, that in the 
office of Tenebrae, only one candle is left lighted. 
St. Leo, when treating of this subject, applies to the 
Virgin this passage of Proverbs : “ Her lamp shall 
not be put out in the night.”f On the words of 
Isaias, “ I have trodden the wine-press alone, and of 
the Gentiles, there is not a man with me,”J St. 
Thomas remarks : He says a man, on account of the 
Virgin, in whom faith never failed. § Whence the bless- 
ed Albertus Magnus says, that Mary practised then a 
most perfect faith. She had faith in a most excellent 
degree ; who, even when the disciples were doubting, 
did not doubt. Mary, therefore, by her great faith 
merited to become the light of all the faithful, as St. 
Methodius calls her : “ Fidelium fax.” And by St. 
Cyril of Alexandria: The queen of the true faith: 


* Stabat mater fide elevata, quam de Christi divinitate fixa 
retinuit. 

t Non extinguetur in nocte lucerna ejus. xxxi. 18. 

% Torcular caleavi solus, et de gentibus non est vir mecum.. 
Ixiii. 8. 

§ Dicit vir propter Virginem, in qua nunquam tides defecit. 
52* 


618 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


“ Sceptrum orthodoxae fidei.” And the holy Church 
herself attributes to the Virgin, by the merit of her 
faith, the destruction of all heresies : “ Rejoice, oh 
Virgin Mary, for thou alone hast destroyed all here- 
sies throughout the world.”* St. Thomas of Villanoya 
also says, explaining the words of the Holy Spirit, 
“ Thou hast wounded my heart, my sister, my spouse 
. . . with one of thy eyes,”f that the eyes signify faith, 
by which the Virgin gave the greatest pleasure to the 
Son of God.J 

St. Ildephonsus exhorts us to imitate the faith of 
Mary : “ Imitamini signaculum fidei Mariae.” But 
how are we to imitate this faith of Mary ? Faith is 
at the same time a gift and a virtue. It is a gift of 
God, in so far as it is a light which God infuses into 
the soul, and it is also a virtue in so far as it is exer- 
cised by the soul. Hence faith is given us not only 
to serve as a rule of belief, but also of action. There- 
fore St. Gregory says : He truly believes who, by his 
works, practises what he believes.§ And St. Augus- 
tine : Thou sayest, “ I believe,” do what you say, and 
it is faith. || And this is to have a lively faith, namely, 
to live according to our belief. “ My just man liveth 

* Gaude, Maria Virgo, cunctas heereses sola interemisti inuni- 
verso mundo. Ant. 1, Noct. 3. 

+ Vulnerasti cor raeum, soror mea, sponsa ... in uno oculorum 
tuorum. Cant. iv. 9. 

X Per oculos fidem designat, qua Dei filio Virgo maxime com- 
placuit. 

§ Ille vero credit, qui exercet operando quod credit. 

S Dicis, credo, fac quod dicis, et tides est. 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


619 


by faith.”'* It was thus the blessed Virgin lived, very 
differently from those who do not live according to 
what they believe, whose faith is dead, as St. James 
says : Faith without good works is dead : “ Fide sine 
operibus mortua est.”-): Diogenes went about seeking 
a man upon earth : “ Hominem qusero but God 
seems seeking a Christian among the many faithful : 
“ Christianum qusero.” For very few are they who 
have the works, the greater part have only the name ; 
but to these should be said what Alexander said to 
that cowardly soldier who was also named Alexander : 
Change either your name or your conduct : “ Aut 
nomen, aut mores muta.” But, as Father Avila used 
to say : It would be better if these miserable crea- 
tures were put in confinement as madmen, believing 
as they do, that a happy eternity is prepared for him 
who lives well, and an unhappy eternity for him who 
lives ill, and yet living as if they did not believe this. 
St. Augustine therefore exhorts us to see things with 
Christian eyes, that is, to see according to faith : 
“ Oculos Christianorum habete.” For St. Theresa 
was accustomed to say, that all sins arise from a want 
of faith. Let us therefore implore the holy Virgin, 
that by the merit of her faith she may obtain for us 
a lively faith. Oh Lady, increase our faith : Domina 
adauge nobis fidem. 

* Justus autem meus ex fide vidit. Hebr. x. 38. t u* 20. 


620 


GLORIES OF MART. 


SECTION V. 

OF THE HOPE OF MABY. 

From faith springs hope, for God enlightens us by 
faith with a knowledge of his goodness and his prom- 
ises, that we may rise by hope to the desire of pos- 
sessing him. Mary, then, having the virtue of an 
extraordinary faith, had also the virtue of an extraor- 
dinary hope, which made her say with David : “ But 
it is good for me to adhere to my God, and to put my 
hope in the Lord God.”* Mary was, indeed, that 
faithful spouse of the Holy Spirit, of whom it was 
said : “ Who is this that cometh up from the desert, 
flowing with delights, leaning on her beloved ?”f For 
she was always perfectly detached from affection to the 
world, which to her appeared a desert ; and placing 
no confidence either in creatures or her own merits, 
but relying entirely on divine grace, in which alone 
she trusted, she always advanced in the divine love ; 
and thus Ailgrin said of her : She ascended from the 
desert, that is, from the world, which she deserted and 
esteemed such a desert, that she turned away from it 
all her affection. Leaning upon her beloved ; for she 
trusted not in her own merits, but in the grace of him 
who bestows grace.J 

* Mihi autem adhaerere Deo bonum est ; ponere in Domino 
Deo spem meam. Psal. lxxii. 28. 

t Quae est ista quae ascendit de deserto, deliciis affluens innixa 
super dilectum suum ? Cant. viii. 5. 

\ Ascendit de deserto, scilicet de mundo, quem sic deseruit, 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


621 


And the holy Virgin plainly showed how great was 
her confidence in God : first, when she saw the trouble 
of her holy spouse, Joseph, because he knew not the 
mode of her miraculous pregnancy, and thought of 
leaving her: But Joseph .... minded to put her away 
privately: “ Joseph autem .... voluit occulte dimit- 
tere earn.”* It appeared then necessary, as we have 
already said, that she should discover to Joseph the 
hidden mystery ; but no, she would not herself reveal 
the grace she had received ; she thought it better to 
abandon herself to divine providence, trusting that 
God himself would protect her innocence and her 
reputation. Cornelius a Lapide makes precisely the 
same remark, commenting upon these very words of 
the Gospel : The blessed Virgin was unwilling to make 
known this secret to Joseph, lest she should seem to 
boast of her gifts, but resigned herself in perfect con- 
fidence to the care of God, trusting that he would 
protect her innocence and reputation. f Moreover, she 
showed her confidence in God when, as the time for 
the birth of Christ approached, she saw herself in 
Bethlehem shut out from the lodgings even of the poor, 

et tamquam desertum reputavit, ut ab ipso omnem suum aver- 
terit affectum. Innixa super dilectum suum, nam non suis 
meritis, sed ipsius innitebatur gratise, qui gratiam tribuit. Ap.’ 
Cornel, in Cant, viii. 5. 

* Matth. i. 19. 

t B. Virgo autem noduit ultro secretum hoc Josepbo pandere, 
ne sua dona jactare videretur, sed Dei curse idipsum resignavit 
certissime confidens, Deum suam innocentiam et famam tuta- 
turum. 


622 


GLORIES OP MARY. 


and obliged to bring forth her Son in a stable : “And 
she laid him in a manger, because there was no room 
for him in the inn.”* She did not then utter a single 
word of complaint, but abandoning herself to God, 
trusted that he would assist her in her need. The 
divine mother also showed how much she trusted in 
the divine providence, when warned by Joseph that 
they were obliged to fly into Egypt, she set out the 
same night on so long a journey to a foreign and un- 
known country, without preparation, without money, 
without other company than that of her infant Jesus 
and her poor spouse : “ Who arose and took the child 
and his mother by night, and retired into Egypt.”f 
But much more did Mary make known her confidence, 
when she asked from her Son the favor of the miracle 
of wine at the marriage of Cana; for having said: 
They have no wine: “ Vinum non habent Jesus 
answered her : “ Woman, what is it to thee and to 
me? my hour has not yet come.”| But after this 
answer, by which it seemed clearly that he refused 
her request, she, trusting in the divine goodness, direct- 
ed the people of the house to do as the Son should 
order, because the grace was secure : Whatsoever he 
shall say to you, do ye : “ Quodcumque dixerit vobis 

* Et reclinavit eum in prsesepio, qua non erat eis locus in 
diversorio. Luc. ii. 7. 

t Qui consurgens accepit puerum, et matrem ejus nocte, et 
secessit in JEgyptum. Matth. ii. 14. 

\ Quid mihi et tibi est mulier, nondum venit hora mea. 
Joan. ii. 4. 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


623 


facite.” And Jesus Christ did, indeed, order that the 
vessels should be filled with water, and then changed 
it into wine. 

Let us learn then from Mary to trust in God as 
we ought, but principally as to what concerns our 
eternal salvation, in which, although our co-operation 
is necessary, yet we ought to hope from God alone 
the grace necessary for obtaining it, entirely distrusting 
our own strength, and saying with the apostle : I can 
do all things in him who strengtheneth me : “ Omnia 
possum in eo qui me confortat.”* 

Ah, my most holy Lady, of thee Ecclesiasticus says, 
that thou art the mother of holy hope : “ Mater sanc- 
tae spei.”f The holy Church says of thee that thou 
art hope itself : Hail, our hope : “ Spes nostra salve.” 
What other hope then am I seeking? Thou, after 
Christ, art all my hope ; thus St. Bernard called thee, 
thus I also wish to call thee : The whole reason of 
my hope : “ Tota ratio spes meae and I will always 
say to thee with St. Bonaventure : Oh salvation of 
those who invoke thee, save me : “0 salus te invocan- 
tium salva me.” 


SECTION VI. 

OF THE CHASTITY OF MARY. 

Since the fall of Adam the flesh being rebellious 
against reason, the virtue of chastity is the most diffi- 
cult for men to practise. Of all combats, says St. 

t Eccli. xxiv. 24 . 


* Phil. iv. 13. 


624 GLORIES OF MARY. 

Augustine, those of chastity are the most severe, for 
the battle is daily and the victory rare.* * * § But eternal 
praise to the Lord who has given us in Mary a great 
example of this virtue. With justice, says blessed 
Albertus Magnus, is Mary called the Virgin of virgins, 
for she being the first who offered her virginity to 
God, without the counsel or example of others, has 
brought to him all virgins who imitate her.f As 
David had already predicted : After her virgins shall 
be brought to the temple of the king : “ Adducentur 
virgines post earn in templum regis.”J Without coun- 
sel or example ; yes, for St. Bernard exclaims : Oh 
Virgin, who has taught thee to please God by virgin- 
ity, and on earth to lead the life of an angel ?§ Ah ! 
answers Sophronius, it is for this God has chosen this 
most pure Virgin for his mother, that she may be an 
example of chastity to all.|| Hence St. Ambrose has 
called Mary the stardard-bearer of chastity : “ Quee 
signum Virginitatis extulit.” 

By reason of this her purity the blessed Virgin was 
also called by the Holy Spirit : Beautiful as the turtle- 


* Inter omnia certamina duriora sunt prselia castitatis, ubi 
quotidiana est pugna et rara victoria. 

t Virgo virginum, quoe sine consilio, sine exemplo munus vir- 
ginitatis Deo obtulit, et per sui imitationem omnes virgines ger- 
minavit. Mar. p. 29. 

\ Psal. lxiv. 15. 

§ 0 Virgo quis te docuit Deo placere virginitate, et in terris 
angelicam ducere vitam. Horn. 4. Sup. Miss. 

|| Christus matrem virginem elegit, ut ipsa omnibus esset ex- 
emplum castitatis. Ap. Parav. p. 2, c. 1. 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


625 


dove : Thy cheeks are beautiful as the turtle-dove’s : 
“ Pulchrce sunt genae tuae sicut turturis.”* Mary, 
says St. Aponius, is a most chaste turtle : “ Turtur 
pudicissima Maria.” And therefore she has also been 
called a lily : As the lily among the thorns, so is my 
love among the daughters : “ Sicut lilium inter spinas, 
sic arnica mea inter filias.”f St. Denis the Carthusian, 
commenting on this passage, says, that she has been 
called a lily among thorns because all other virgins 
were thorns either to themselves or others ; but 
the blessed Virgin has never been one to herself or 
others.]; For by her presence alone she infused into 
all, thoughts and affections of purity : “ Intuentium 
corda ad castitatem invitabat.”§ And this is confirmed 
by St. Thomas, who says that the beauty of the 
blessed Virgin encouraged chastity in all who beheld 
her : “ Pulchritudo B. Virginis intuentes ad castitatem 
excitabat.”|| St. Jerome declares himself of the opin- 
ion that St. Joseph preserved his virginity by the so- 
ciety of Mary, for the saint thus writes against the 
heretic Hel vidius, who denied the virginity of Mary : 
Thou sayest that Mary did not remain a virgin ; I take 
it upon myself to maintain more than that, even that 
Joseph himself preserved his virginity through Mary.^f 

* Cant. i. 9. t Cant. ii. 2. 

\ Omnes alias virgines spinse fuerunt vel sibi vcl aliis ; B. Vir- 
go nec sibi, nec aliis. 

§ Id. S. Dio. 1 Ap. Par. loc. cit. 

If Tu dicis Mariam virginem non permansisse ? Ego mihi plus 
vindico, etiam ipsum Joseph virginem fuisse per Mariam. L. 
adv. Helvid. 


53 


626 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


A certain author says that the blessed Virgin so loved 
this virtue, that to preserve it, she would have been 
ready to renounce even the dignity of mother of God. 
This we may learn from her own answer to the arch- 
angel : “ How shall this be done, because I know not 
man ?”* and from the words she afterwards added : 
Be it done to me according to thy word : “ Fiat mihi 
secundum verbum tuum signifying by this that she 
gave her consent on the condition of which the angel 
had assured her, namely, that she should become a 
mother by means of the Holy Spirit alone. 

St. Ambrose says : He who has preserved chastity 
is an angel, he who has lost it is a devil.f According 
to the words of our Lord : “ They shall be as the an- 
gels of God in heaven.”^ But the unchaste become 
odious to God as the devils. And St. Remigius said 
that the greater number of adults are lost through this 
vice. The victory over this vice is rare, as has been 
said in the words of St. Augustine at the beginning of 
this section ; but why is it rare ? Because the means 
for conquering it are not put in use. The means are 
three according to Bellarmine, and the masters of the 
spiritual life: Fasting, avoiding dangerous occasions, 
and prayer : “ Jejuniun, periculorum evitatio, et oratio.” 
By fasting is meant mortification, particularly of the 
eyes and of the appetite. The most holy Mary, al- 

* Quomodo fiet istud, quoniam virum non cognosco ? Luc. 
i. 34. 

t Qui castitatem servavit, angelus est, qui perdidit, diabolus. 

X Matth. xxii. 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


627 


though she was full of divine grace, was so mortified 
with her eyes that she kept them always cast down, 
as St. Epiphanius and St. John Damascene inform us, 
and never fixed them on any one ; they say that from 
her childhood she was so modest that she was the 
wonder of all. And hence St. Luke remarks, that in 
going to visit St. Elizabeth : She went with haste : 
“ Abiit cum festinatione,” that she might not be long 
seen in public. Philibert relates, with regard to her 
food, that it was revealed to a hermit named Felix, that 
the infant Mary took milk only once a day. And St. 
Gregory of Tours asserts that, during her whole life, 
slife fasted always : “ Nullo tempore Maria non jejuna- 
vit;” and St. Bonaventure adds, that Mary would 
never have found so much grace unless she had been 
temperate in food, for grace and gluttony cannot sub- 
sist together.* In a word, Mary practised mortifica- 
tion in every thing, so that of her it was said : My 
hands dropped with myrrh : “ Manus meae stillaverunt 
myrrham.”f 

The second means is to fly the occasions of sin. 
He that is aware of the snares shall be secure : “ Qui 
autem cavet laqueos, securus erit.”J Hence St. Philip 
Neri said, that in this warfare cowards conquer ; that 
is, those who avoid dangerous occasions. Mary 
shunned as much as possible the sight of men ; and 
therefore St. Luke says that in her visit to St. Eliza- 

* Nunquam Maria tantam gratiam invenissit, nisi cibo tern- 
peratissima fuisset ; non enim se compatiuntur gratia et gula. 

f Cant. v. 5. X Prov. ad* 15. 


628 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


beth, she went with haste into the hill country: 
“ Abiit in montana cum festinatione.” And a certain 
author remarks that the Virgin left Elizabeth before 
the birth of the Baptist, as we learn from the Gospel 
itself, in which it is said that “ Mary abode with her 
about three months; and she returned to her own 
house. Now Elizabeth’s full time of being delivered 
was come, and she brought forth a son.”'* And why 
did she not wait till , his birth ? In order to avoid the 
conversation and visits which would follow that event. 
The third means is prayer. “ And as I knew,” said 
the wise man, “ that I could not otherwise be conti- 
nent except God gave it .... I went to the Lord and 
besought him.”f And the blessed Virgin revealed to 
St. Elisabeth, a Benedictine nun, that she had not ac- 
quired any virtue without effort and continual prayer. £ 
St. John Damascene says that Mary is pure and a 
lover of purity: “Pura est et puritatem amans,” and 
therefore she cannot endure the impure. But who- 
ever has recourse to her will certainly be delivered 
from this vice by only pronouncing her name with 
confidence. And the venerable John of Avila says 
that many temptations against chastity have been 
overcome solely by devotion to the immaculate Virgin. 

* Mansit autern Maria cum ilia quasi mensibus tribus ; et re- 
versa est in domum suam. Elisabeth autem impletum est tem- 
pus pariendi, et peperit filium. Cap. i. 56. 

t Et ut scivi quoniam aliter non possem esse continens nisi 
Deus det . . . . aii Dominum, et deprecatus sum ilium. Sap. 
viii. 21. 

X Ap. S. Bon. de Yit. Chr. c. 3. 


GLOEIES OF MAEY. 


629 


Oh Mary, oh most pure dove, how many are in hell 
through the vice of impurity ! Oh Lady, obtain for 
us that always in our temptations we may have re- 
course to thee, and invoke thee, saying : Mary, Mary, 
help us. Amen. 


SECTION VII. 

ON THE POVERTY OF MARY. 

Our loving Redeemer chose to be poor on this 
earth in order to teach us to despise the goods of this 
world : “ Being rich,” says St. Paul, “ he became poor 
for your sake, that through his poverty you might be 
rich.”* For this reason Jesus Christ says to each one 
who wishes to be his disciple : “ If thou wilt be per- 
fect, go sell what thou hast and give it to the poor, 
and come follow me.”f Behold his most perfect dis- 
ciple Mary, who indeed imitated his example. Father 
Canisius proves that the holy Virgin could have lived 
in comfort on the inheritance left her by her parents, 
but she was content to remain poor, reserving to her- 
self a small portion, and giving the rest in alms to the 
temple and to the poor. Many are of opinion that 
Mary also made a vow of poverty, and it is known 


* Propter vos egenus factus est, cum esset dives, et illius in- 
opia vos divites essetis. 2 Cor. viii. 9. 

+ Si vis perfectus esse, vende quae habes, et da pauperibus 
. . . . et veni, sequere me. Matth. xix. 21. 

\ Ap. Parav. p. c. 2. 


53 * 


630 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


that she herself said to St. Bridget: “From the be- 
ginning I vowed in my heart never to possess any 
thing in the world.”* * * § The gifts received from the 
holy Magi were certainly not of small value, but St. 
Bernard attests that she distributed them all to the 
poor.f And we learn that the divine mother imme- 
diately gave to others the presents above mentioned, 
from the fact that when she went to the temple she 
did not offer the lamb, which was the oblation made 
by those who were able, as we read in Leviticus : 

“For a son she shall bring a lamb,”J but she 

offered two turtle-doves and two young pigeons, the 
oblation of the poor : “ And to offer a sacrifice, ac- 
cording as it is written in the law of the Lord, a pair 
of turtle-doves or two young pigeons. ”§ Mary herself 
said to St. Bridget : “ All that I had I gave to the 
poor, and kept nothing for myself but poor food and 
clothing. ”|| 

Through love of poverty she did not disdain to 
marry a poor carpenter, like St. Joseph, and after- 
wards, as St. Bonaventure relates, to support herself 


* A principio vovi in corde meo nihil unquam possidere in 
mundo. L. 1, c. 10. 

f Aurum sibi oblatum a magis non modicum, prout decebat 
eorum regiam majestatem, non sibi reservavit, sed pauperibus 
per Joseph distribuit. Ap. Par. loc. cit. 

X Pro filio .... deferet agnum. xii. 6. 

§ Et ut darent hostiam secundum quod dictum est in lege 
Domini, par turturum aut duos pullos columbarum. Luc. ii. 24. 

|| Omnia quae habere potui dedi indigentibus, nihilque nisi 
cibum tenuem et vestitum reservavi. Eev. 1. 1, c. 10. 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


631 


by the work of her hands, as sewing or spinning. An 
angel revealed to St. Bridget concerning Mary, that 
worldly riches were in her eyes vile as dirt : “ Mun- 
danse divitae velut lutum sibi vilescebat.” In a word, 
she always lived in poverty, and she died in poverty ; 
for as Metaphrastes*and Nicephorus relate, she left 
nothing behind her at her death but two poor gar- 
ments to two women, who had assisted her during 
life.* 

He who loves riches, said St. Philip Neri, will never 
become a saint ; and St. Theresa also said : It justly 
follows that he who goes in search of things lost is 
also lost. On the other hand, the same saint said, 
that this virtue of poverty is a good that comprises all 
other goods. I have said the virtue of poverty which, 
according to St. Bernard, does not consist alone in 
being poor, but in loving poverty : “ Non paupertas, 
sed amor paupertatis virtus est.” Therefore Jesus 
Christ has said : “ Blessed are the poor in spirit, for 
theirs is the kingdom of heaven. ”f Blessed, because 
they who wish for nothing but God, in God find every 
good, and find in poverty their paradise on earth, as 
St. Francis found it in saying : My God and my all : 
“ Deus meus et omnia.” Let us, then, according to 
the exhortation of St. Augustine, love that only good 
in which is every good : “ Ama unum bonum, in quo 
sunt omnia bona.” And let us pray our Lord with 

* Ap. auct. Vit. Mar. L. 5, c. 13. 

t Beati pauperes spiritu quoniam ipsorum est regnum coelo- 
rum. Matth. v. 3. 


632 GLORIES OF MARY. 

# 

St. Ignatius : Give me only thy love together with 
thy grace, and I am rich enough.* And when poverty 
afflicts us, let us console ourselves by the thought 
that Jesus and his mother have also been poor 
like us.f 

Ah, my most holy mother, thou hadst in truth rea- 
son to say, that in God was thy joy : “ And my spirit 
hath rejoiced in God my Saviour,”;); for in this world 
thou didst not desire nor love any other good than 
God. Draw me after thee: “Trahe me post te.” 
Oh Lady ! detach me from the world, and draw me 
after thee to love that one who alone merits to be 
loved. Amen. 


SECTION VIII. 

OF THE OBEDIENCE OF MARY. 

It was through the affection which Mary bore to 
the virtue of obedience, that when the annunciation 
was made to her by St. Gabriel, she did not wish to 
call herself by any other name than that of handmaid : 
Behold the handmaid of the Lord : “ Ecce ancilla 
Domini.” Indeed, says St. Thomas of Villanova, this 
faithful handmaid neither in act, v r ord, nor thought, 

* Amorem tui solum cum gratia tua mihi dones, et dives sum 
satis. 

t Pauper multum consolari potest de paupertate Mariae, et de 
paupere Christo. 

X Et exultavit spiritus meus in Deo salutari meo. 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


633 


ever disobeyed the Lord, but, divested of all self- 
will, she always, and in all things, lived obedient to 
the divine will.* * * § She herself declared that God 
was pleased with her obedience when she said : He 
regarded the humility of his handmaid: “Respexit 
humilitatem ancillae suae ;”f for this is the humility of 
a servant, to be always prompt to obey. St. Augus- 
tine says, that the divine mother remedied by her 
obedience the eyil that Eve had caused by her dis- 
obedience.;]; The obedience of Mary was far more 
perfect than that of all the other saints, for all men 
being inclined to evil through original sin, they all feel 
difficulty in doing right ; but not so the blessed Vir- 
gin ; for as St. Bernardine says : Because she was free 
from original sin, there was in her no hindrance in 
obeying God, but she was like a wheel readily moved 
at every divine breath ;§ hence her only occupa- 
tion on this earth, as the same saint expresses it, was 
to discover and do what was pleasing to God.|| Of 

* 0 vera ancilla, quae neque dicto, neque facto, neque cogi- 
tatu unquam contradixit Altissimo, nihil sibi libertatis reservans, 
sed per omnia subdita Deo. Cone, de Annunc. 

t Luc. i. 48. 

X Sicut Heva inobediens et sibi et universo generi humano 
causa facta est mortis ; sic et Maria Virgo obediens et sibi et 
universo generi humano facta est causa salutis. Ap. Parav. p. 
2, c. 11. 

§ In B. Virgine nullum fuit omnino retardativum, proinde 
rota volubilis fuit secundum omnem Spiritus Sancti motu. To. 
8, Serm. 11, a. 2, c. 1. 

| Virgo semper habuit continuum aspectum ad Dei benepla- 
citum, et ferventem consensum. To. 2, s. 41, a. 8, c. 2. 


634 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


her it was said : My soul melted when he spoke : 
“ Anima mea liquefacta est, ut dilectus meus locutus 
est.”* Commenting on this passage, Richard says 
that the soul of Mary was like metal in a state of fu- 
sion, ready to take any form that was pleasing to 
God.f 

Mary proved indeed the readiness of her obedience, 
in the first place, when, in order to please God, she 
was willing even to obey the Roman emperor, and made 
the journey, fifty miles, to Bethlehem, in winter, being 
pregnant, and so poor that she was obliged to bring 
forth her Son in a stable. She was also ready at the 
notice of St. Joseph, to set out immediately on that 
very night upon the longer and more difficult journey 
into Egypt. And Silveira asks why the command to 
fly into Egypt was given to St. Joseph and not to the 
blessed Virgin, who was to suffer the most from the 
journey ? And he answers : Lest the Virgin should 
be deprived of an opportunity for performing an act 
of obedience for which she was most ready. J But 
above all, she showed her heroic obedience, when, in 
order to obey the divine will, she offered her Son to 
death with so much firmness that, as St. Ildephonsus 
says, she would have been ready to crucify him, if 

* Anima mea liquefacta est, ut dilectus meus locutus est. Cant, 
v. 6. 

+ Anima mea liquefacta est per incendium charitatis, parata 
instar metalli liquefacti decurrere in omnes modulos divinse vo- 
luntatis. 

X Ne Virgini subtrahatur occasio exercendi actum obedientise 
ad quern erat paratissima. 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


635 


executioners had been wanting.* * * § Hence the venerable 
Bede, commenting on those words of the Redeemer 
to that woman iri the Gospel who exclaimed : “ Bless- 
ed is the womb that bore thee “ Yea, rather, bless- 
ed are they who hear the Word of God and keep it,”f 
says, that Mary was more happy through obedience 
to the divine will, than in being the mother of God 
himself.]; 

For this reason it is, that those who love obedience 
are very pleasing to the Virgin. She appeared once 
to a religious, a Franciscan, named Accorso, in his cell, 
who being called by obedience to go and hear the con- 
fession of a sick person, went out, but when he re- 
turned he found Mary waiting for him, and she greatly 
praised his obedience. As, on the other hand, she 
greatly blamed another religious, who, when the bell 
had summoned him to the refectory, delayed in order 
to finish certain devotions.§ The Virgin, speaking to 
St. Bridget of the security found in obeying a spiritual 
father, said : Obedience has brought all the saints to 
glory : “ Obedientia omnes introducit ad gloriam.”] St. 
Philip Neri also says, that God requires no account 
of things done in obedience, having himself declared : 

* Parata enim stetit, si deesset manus percussoris. Ap. 
Parav. p. 2, c. 12. 

+ Beatus venter qui te portavit .... Quinimmo beati qui au- 
diunt verbum Dei, et custodiunt illud. Luc. xi. 28. 

X Et inde quidem beata, quia Verbi incarnandi ministra facta 
est; sed inde multo beatior quia ejusdem semper amandi custos 
manebat aeterna. C. 40, in Luc. 

§ March. Diar. della Mad. 1 Kev. 1. 6, c. 11. 


636 


i ' 

GLORIES OF MARY. 

“ He that heareth you, heareth me ; and he that de- 
spiseth you, despiseth me.”* The mother of God 
herself revealed to St. Bridget, that through the merit 
of her obedience she had obtained from the Lord that 
all penitent sinners who have recourse to her, should 
be pardoned.f Ah, our queen and mother, pray Je- 
sus for us, obtain for us through the merit of thy 
obedience that we may be faithful in obeying his will, 
and the commands of our spiritual fathers. Amen. 


SECTION IX. 

OF THE PATIENCE OF MARY. * 

Since this earth is a place of merit, it is justly 
called a valley of tears ; for we are all placed here to 
suffer, and by patience to obtain for our souls eternal 
life: “In your patience you shall possess your souls,” J 
said our Lord. God gave us the Virgin Mary as an 
example of all virtues, but especially as an example 
of patience. St. Francis of Sales, among other things, 
remarks, that at the nuptials of Cana Jesus Christ 
gave an answer to the most holy Virgin, by which he 
seemed to pay but little regard to her prayers : Wo- 
man, what is that to thee and to me ? “ Quid milii et 

* Qui vos audit me audit; et qui vos spernit, me spernit. 
Luc, x. 16 . 

t Pro obedientia mea tantam potestatem obtinui, quod nullus 
tarn immundis peccator, si ad me cum emendatione proposito 
eonvertitur et cum cordo contrito, non habebit veniam. 

X In patientia vestra possidebitis animas vestras. Luc. xxi. 19 . 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


637 


tibi est, mulier?” precisely for this reason, that he 
might give us an example of the patience of his holy 
mother. But why seek further ? The whole life of 
Mary was a continual exercise of patience, for, as an 
angel revealed to St. Bridget, the blessed Virgin lived 
always in the midst of sufferings.* Her compassion 
alone for the sufferings of the Redeemer was enough 
to make her a martyr of patience ; wherefore St. Bo- 
naventure says : The crucified conceived the crucified : 
“ Crucifixa crucifixum concepit.” When we spoke of 
her dolors, we considered all she suffered, as well in 
her journey and life in Egypt, as during the whole 
time she lived with her Son in the workshop of Naza- 
reth. But the presence of Mary on Calvary, with her 
dying Jesus, is alone enough to show us how constant 
and sublime was her patience : There stood by the 
cross of Jesus, his mother : “ Stabat juxta crucem 
Jesu mater ejus.” Then, by the merit of this her 
patience, as blessed Albertus Magnus remarks, she 
became our mother, and brought us forth to the life 
of grace.f 

If we desire then to be the children of Mary, we 
must seek to imitate her patience. And what, says 
St. Cyprian, can enrich us more with merit in this life, 
and glory in the other, than bearing sufferings with 
patience God said by the mouth of the prophet 

* Sicut rosa crescere solet inter spinas ; ita hajc venerabilis 
Virgo in hoc mundo crevit inter tribulationes. Serm. Ang. c. 10. 

f Maria facta est mater nostra, quos genuit filio compatiendo. 

X Quid utilius ad vitam, vel majus ad gloriam, quam patientia ; 

54 


638 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


Osee : I will hedge up thy way with thorns : “ Sepi- 
am viam tuam spinis.”* * * § St. Gregory remarks on this 
passage, that the ways of the elect are hedged with 
thorns : “ Electomm vise spinis sepiuntur.” For as a 
hedge of thorns protects the vine, so God encompasses 
his servants with tribulation, in order that they may not 
become attached to the earth ; therefore St. Oyprian 
concludes, patience delivers us from sin and from hell : 
“ Patientia nos servat.” And it is patience that makes 
the saints : “ Patience hath a perfect work,”f bearing 
in peace the crosses that come to us directly from 
God, as sickness, poverty, &c., as well as those that 
come to us from men, such as persecutions, injuries, 
&c. St. John saw all the saints with palms, the em- 
blem of martyrdom, in their hands. “After this I 
saw a great multitude .... and palms were in their 
hands signifying by this that all men must be 
martyrs by the sword, or by patience. Be then joy- 
ful, exclaims St. Gregory : We can be martyrs without 
blood, if we preserve patience. § If we suffer the 
afflictions of this life, as St. Bernard says, patiently 
and joyfully : “Patienter, et gaudenter,” oh, how much 
every pain endured for God will obtain for us in heaven ! 
Hence the apostle encourages us in these words: 
“ Our tribulation, which is momentary and light, work- 

* 2, 6. t Jac. i. 4. 

% Postliaec vidi turbam magnam et palmae in manibus 

eorum. Apoc. vii. 9. 

§ Nos sine ferro martyres esse possumus, si patientiam cus- 
todiamus. 


GLORIES OF MART. 


639 


eth for us ... an eternal weight of glory.”* Beauti- 
ful are the instructions of St. Theresa on this subject : 
“ He who embraces the cross,” she says, “ does not feel 
it.” And again : “ When a person resolves to suffer, the 
pain is over.” And if we feel our crosses heavy, let us 
have recourse to Mary, who is called by the Church : 
The comforter of the afflicted : “ Consolatrix afflicto- 
rum ;” and by St. John Damascene : The remedy for 
all sorrows of the heart : “ Omnium dolorum cordium 
medicamentum.” Ah, my most sweet Lady, thou, 
though innocent, didst suffer with so much patience, 
and shall I, who am deserving of hell, refuse to suffer? 
My mother, to-day I ask of thee the grace not to be 
exempt from crosses, but to support them with pa- 
tience. For the love of Jesus I pray thee to obtain 
for me nothing less than this grace from God ; through 
you I hope for it. 


section x. 

OF THE PRAYER OF MARY. 

No soul on this earth has ever followed so perfectly 
as the blessed Virgin that great lesson of our Saviour : 
We ought always to pray, and not to faint : “ Oportet 
semper orare, et non aeficere.”f From no other, says 
St. Bonaventure, can we better take example, and 

* Momentaneum, et leve tribulationis nostrae .... teternum 
gloriae pondus operatur in nobis. 2 Cor. iv. 17. 
t Luc. xviii. 1. 


640 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


learn the necessity of persevering in prayer, than from 
Mary. Mary gave an example, that we ought to fol- 
low and not faint.* * * § For the blessed Albertus Mag- 
nus asserts, that after Jesus Christ, the divine mother 
was the most perfect in the virtue of prayer, of all 
who ever have lived or ever will live : “ Virtus ora- 
tionis in B. Virgine excellentissima fuit.”f First, be- 
cause her prayer was continual and persevering. From 
the first moment in which she had life, and with life 
the perfect use of reason, as we have said above in 
the Discourse on her Nativity, she began to pray. 
And, moreover, that she might devote herself more 
to prayer, she wished, when a child of only three 
years, to shut herself up in the retirement of the 
temple ; where, as she herself revealed to St. Eliza- 
beth (virgin), among the other hours that she al- 
lotted to prayer, she was accustomed to rise at mid- 
night and go to pray before the altar of the tem- 
ple.]; And, in order to meditate on the sufferings 
of Jesus, according to Odilone, she also frequently 
visited the places of our Lord’s nativity, passion, 
and burial.§ Moreover, her prayer, as St. Denis 
the Carthusian has written, was wholly recollected, 

* Maria exemplum dedit quod oportet sequi, et non defieere. 
Spec. c. 4. 

t Sup. Miss. 80. 

X Surgebam semper in noctis medio et pergebam ante aitare 
templi, et ibi petitiones meas prsesentabam. Y. Ap. S. Bon. de 
Vit. Ckr. c. 8. 

§ Loca dominicoe natxvitatis, passionis, sepultune frequenter 
visitabat. 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


641 


free from all distractions, and every irregular incli- 
nation.* * * § 

Therefore the blessed Virgin, through her love of 
prayer, had so great a love of solitude, that, as she 
said to St. Bridget, when she lived in the temple she 
even abstained from intercourse with her holy parents. 
St. Jerome, meditating on the words of Isaias — “ Be- 
hold a Virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and his 
name shall be called Emmanuel”f — says, that in 
Hebrew the word virgin properly signifies a retired 
virgin ; so that Mary’s love of solitude was already 
predicted by the prophet. Richard says that the 
angel addressed her in the words, The Lord is with 
thee : “ Dominus tecum,” on account of her great love 
of solitude. J And St. Vincent Ferrer asserts that 
the divine mother never went from home, except to 
go to the temple, and then she went entirely recol- 
lected, having her eyes always cast down.§ When 
going to visit St. Elizabeth, She went with haste: 
“ Abiit cum festinatione ;” and from this St. Ambrose 
says virgins should learn to shun the public eye. St, 
Bernard teaches that Mary, through her love of prayer 


* Nulla unquam inordinata affectio, nec distractio mentem 
Virginia a contemplationis lurnine revocavit nec occupatio ulla 
exterior. De Laud. Virg. 1. 2, art. 8. 

f Ecce Virgo concipiet, et pariet filium, et vocabitur nomen 
cjus Emmanuel. C. vii. 1. 

% Merito solitudinis quam ipsa summe diligebat. L. 1, c. 6. 

§ Nunquam exibat e domo, nisi quando ibat ad templum ; et 
tunc ibat tota composite, semper liabens oculos suos ad terram. 
Serm. in Virg. Nat. 


54 * 


642 


GLORIES OF MART. 


and solitude, was always careful to avoid conversation 
with men.* * * § Hence she is called by the Holy Spirit 
the turtle-dove : Thy cheeks are beautiful as the turtle- 
dove’s: “Pulchrse sunt genae tuae sicut turturis.”f 
Which words Vergellus thus explains : The turtle- 
dove is a lover of solitude, and is an emblem of the 
unitive power of the soul.J; So the Virgin always 
lived solitary in this world, as in a desert, and there- 
fore it was said of her : Who is this that goeth up by 
the desert, as a pillar of smoke ? “ Quae est ista quae 
ascendit per desertum, sicut virgula fumi ?”§ On 
which words Rupert the Abbot says : Thus thou didst 
ascend by the desert, having a solitary soul : “ Talis 
ascendisti per desertum animam habens solitariam.” 

Philo said that God speaks to souls only in solitude : 
“Dei sermo amat deserta.” And God himself de- 
clared this by the prophet Osee, when he said : I will 
lead her into the wilderness, and I will speak to her 
heart : “ Ducam earn in solitudinem, et loquar ad cor 
ejus.”|| And hence St. Jerome exclaims : Oh solitude, 
in which God familiarly converses with his servants !^[ 
Yes, says St. Bernard, because the quiet and the silence 
that is enjoyed in solitude, force the soul to leave the 

* In proposito erat hominum fugere frequentias, vitare col- 
loquia. 

f Cant. i. 9. 

X Turtur est solivaga, et signat mentis virtutem unitivam. 
Ap. S. Bon. Dist. 7. 4. 

§ Cant. iii. 6 . || ii. 14 . § 

IF 0 solitudo, in qua Deus cum suis familiariter loquitur, et 
conversatur ! 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


643 


earth in thought, and to meditate on the things of 
heaven.* * * § Oh, most holy Virgin, obtain for us a love 
of prayer and solitude, that detaching ourselves from 
the love of creatures, we may aspire only after God 
and heaven, where we hope one day to see thee, to 
praise and love with thee thy Son, Jesus, forever and 
ever. Amen. “ Come over to me, all ye that desire 
me, and be filled with my fruits.”f The fruits of 
Mary are her virtues. 

None has appeared like unto thee, in all time before 
or after thee.J 

Thou alone, oh woman without equal, hast been 
pleasing to Christ. 




VARIOUS PRACTICES OF DEVOTION TO THE DIVINE MOTHER. 

The queen of heaven is so liberal, as St. Andrew 
of Crete says, that she makes a large return for the 
smallest devotions of her servants.§ But two con- 
ditions are necessary for this : First, that we offer her 
the homage of a soul pure from sin ; for otherwise 
Mary will say to us what she said to a soldier, a man 

* Silentium, et a strepitu quies cogit coelestia meditari. 

f Transite ad me omnes qui concupiscitis me, et a genera- 
tionibus meis implemini. Eccli. xxiv. 26. 

X Nec primam similem visa est, nee habere sequentem. 

Sola sine exemplo placuisti foemina Christo. Sedulius. 

§ Cum sit magnificentissima, solet maxima pro minimis red- 
dere. Or. 2, de Dorm. Virg. 


644 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


of vicious habits, who, as St. Peter Celestine relates,* 
offered every day a devotion to the Virgin. One day 
when he was suffering greatly from hunger, our Lady 
appeared to him, and presented him some exquisite 
viands, but in a vase so filthy that he did not venture 
to taste them. “ I am the mother of God,” Mary then 
said to him, “ who has come to relieve thy hunger.” 
“ But I cannot taste from this vase,” answered the 
soldier. “ And do you wish,” replied Mary, “ that I 
should accept thy devotions, offered me from a soul 
so polluted ?” The soldier, at these words, was con- 
verted, became a hermit, lived thirty years in the 
desert, and at death the Virgin again appeared to him 
and conducted him to heaven. We have said, in the 
first part of this work, that morally speaking it was 
impossible that a servant of Mary should be lost. But 
this must be understood with the condition, that he 
lives without sin, or at least that he wishes to aban- 
don it, for then our Lady will assist him. But if any 
one, on the other hand, should sin, in the hope that 
our Lady will save him, he would by his sin render 
himself unworthy and incapable of the protection of 
Mary. The second condition is, that he perseveres in 
his devotion to Mary. Perseverance alone shall merit 
a crown, says St. Bernard : “ Perse verantia sola mere- 
tur coronam.”f Thomas a Kempis, when a young 
man, was accustomed daily to have recourse to the 
Virgin with certain prayers ; one day he omitted them, 


Opusc. c. 23. 


t Ep. 129. 


GLORIES OF MART. 


645 


then he omitted them for some weeks, then he gave 
them up entirely. One night he saw Mary in a dream, 
who embraced his companions, but having come to 
him, said : “ What do you expect, who have given up 
your devotions ? Depart, for you are unworthy of 
my favors.” Terrified by these words, Thomas awoke, 
and resumed his accustomed prayers. Richard there- 
fore with reason says : He who is perseveringly de- 
voted to Mary will be blessed with the hope, that all 
his desires may be gratified.* But as no one can be 
secure of this perseverance, no one can be sure of 
salvation before his death. It was a very remarkable 
document which brother John Berchmans, of the 
Company of Jesus, gave to his companions, when he 
was requested by them to leave with them in writing, 
what was the most pleasing devotion which they could 
make to our Lady, in order to obtain her protection, 
and he answered : Any small thing, but let it be con- 
stant : “ Quidquid minimum, dum modo sit constans.” 
Finally, however, I add here, simply and in a few 
words, the different devotions we may offer to our 
mother, to obtain for us her favor ; a thing which I 
consider the most useful that I have written in this 
little work. But I do not so much recommend to my 
reader to practise them all, as to practise those which 
he selects, with perseverance, and in fear of losing the 
protection of the divine mother, if he neglects to con- 
tinue them. Oh, how many who are in hell would 

* Qui tenuerit Mariam perseveranter, liic beatus erit in spe, 
quia omnia optata ei succedent. L. 2, p. 48. 


646 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


have been saved, if they had continued the devotions 
which they once commenced to Mary ! 

DEVOTION I. OF THE “HAIL MARY.” 

This angelical salutation is very pleasing to the 
most holy Virgin, for it seems to renew, as it were, 
the joy which she experienced, when St. Gabriel an- 
nounced to her that she was made mother of God ; 
and therefore we should often salute her with the 
“ Hail Mary.” Salute her with the angelical saluta- 
tion, says Thomas a Kempis, for gladly does she hear 
this sound. * * * § The divine mother herself said to St. 
Matilda, that no one could better salute her than with 
the “ Hail Mary.” He who salutes Mary will also be 
saluted by her. St. Bernard heard himself once 
audibly saluted from a statue of the Virgin, which said 
to him, Hail Bernard : “Ave Bernarde.”f And the 
salutation of Mary, says St. Bonaventure, will be 
some grace, whereby she always responds to those 
who salute her.| And Richard adds: If any one 
comes to the mother of our Lord saying, “ Hail Mary,” 
could she deny him the favor he asks ?§ Mary her- 
self promised St. Gertrude help in death for eveiy 

* Salutate earn angelica salutatione, quia vocem hanc audit 
valde libenter. Serm. 81, ad Nov. 

t March. 20, Aug. 

% Libenter nos salutat cum gratia, si libenter salutamus cum 
Ave Maria. Auriem. Aff. Scam. tom. 1, c. 6. 

§ Si quis veniat ad matrem Domini dicens, Ave Maria, num- 
quid poterit ei gratiam denegare ? 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


647 


“ Hail Mary” she said. The blessed Alanus asserts, 
that as all heaven rejoices when a “ Hail Mary” is said, 
so the devil trembles and flees : “ Ccelum gaudet, 
Satan fugit, cum dico, Ave Maria.” Which Thomas 
a Kempis also confirms, for a devil who once appeared 
to him suddenly fled at hearing the “ Hail Mary.”* 
The practice of this devotion is : — 1st. To say every 
morning on rising, and every evening on going to bed, 
three “Hail Marys,” prostrate, or at least kneeling; 
adding at each that short prayer : “By thy pure 
and immaculate conception, oh Mary ! make my body 
pure, and my soul holy.” To ask the blessing of 
Mary as our mother, as St. Stanislas always did, 
and place ourselves under the mantle of our Lady, 
praying her that during the following day or night she 
may keep us from sin. And it is a great help to this, 
to keep near the bed a beautiful image of the Virgin. 
2d. To say the Angelus, &c., with the three “ Hail 
Marys” as usual, in the morning, at noon, and in the 
evening. John XXII. was the first Pope who attached 
an indulgence to this devotion, on the occasion, as 
Father Crasset relates, f when a criminal who was con- 
demned to be burned, by invoking Mary on the Vigil 
of her Annunciation remained uninjured, even to his 
garments, in the midst of the flames. Benedict XIII. 
at length granted a hundred days’ indulgence to those 
who recite it, and at the end of the month a plenary 
indulgence, having made their confession and received 
holy communion. Father Crasset also states that 
* Seim. 1 , ad Nov. t To. 2, tr. 6, prat. 2. 


648 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


there have been other indulgences granted by Clement 
X. to those who at the end of each “ Hail Mary” 
add : Thanks be to God and Mary : “Deo gratias et 
Mariae.”* Formerly, at the sound of the bell, every 
one knelt to say the Angelus ; now some are ashamed 
to do so ; but St. Charles Borromeo was not ashamed 
to descend from his carriage or horse, to recite it in 
the street, and sometimes even in the mud. It is re- 
lated that a certain indolent religious, who would not 
kneel at the signal for the “ Hail Mary,” saw the bel- 
fry bow three times, and a voice spoke from it which 
said : Behold, thou wilt not do what even senseless 
creatures do. Let it be remembered, that as Bene- 
dict XIV. directed, in the Paschal season, instead of 
the Angelus the “ Regina Coeli” is said. And from 
Vespers on Saturday, through the whole of Sunday, 
the Angelus Domini is said standing. 3d. To salute 
the mother of God with a “ Hail Mary,” every time 
the clock strikes. Alphonsus Rodriguez saluted Mary 
every hour, and in the night when the hour came, the 
angels awoke him, that he might not omit this devo- 
tion. 4th. On quitting and entering the house, to 
salute the Virgin with a “ Hail Mary,” that at home 
and abroad she may protect us from sin, and to kiss 
her feet as the Carthusian Fathers are accustomed to 
do. 5th. To pay reverence with a “ Hail Mary” to 
every image of Mary which we meet, and let every 
one who can do so, place some beautiful image of the 
Virgin in a niche in the walls of his house, that it 
* Loc. cit. 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


649 


may be honored by those who are passing by. In 
Naples, and still more in Rome, there are very beau- 
tiful images of our Lady, by the wayside, placed 
there by her devout servants. 6th. The holy Church 
directs that the angelical salutation be prefixed to all 
the canonical hours of the office, and that the office 
should terminate with it ; hence it is well, at the begin- 
ning and end of every action, always to say a “ Hail 
Mary;” I say of every action, whether it be spiritual, 
as prayer, confession, communion, spiritual reading, 
hearing a sermon, &c. ; or temporal, as study, giving 
counsel, labor, going to table, to bed, &c. Happy 
are those actions that are inclosed between two “ Hail 
Marys !” And thus also on awaking in the morning, 
on closing the eyes to sleep, in every temptation and 
peril, in every burst of anger, &c., say always a “ Hail 
Mary.” My dear reader, practise this, and you will 
see the advantage to be drawn from it ; remember- 
ing that for every “Hail Mary” there are twenty 
days’ indulgence.* Moreover, Father Auriemma re- 
lates,! that the blessed Virgin promised St. Matilda a 
good death, if she recited every day three “Hail 
Marys” in honor of her power, wisdom, and goodness.. 
And she also said to blessed Jane of France, that the 
“ Hail Mary” was very pleasing to her,, especially 
when said ten times in honor of her ten virtues.^ 
Many indulgences are also attached to these ten. “ Hail 
Marys.” 

* Ap. Viva, de Ind. s. ult. t Loc. cit. 

X Ap. Maracci. p. 25. 


55 


650 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


DEVOTION II. OF NOVENAS. 

The servants of Mary are very attentive and fervent 
in celebrating the Novenas of her Feasts ; and during 
these the holy Virgin, full of love, dispenses to them 
innumerable and special blessings. One day St. Ger- 
trude saw under the mantle of Mary innumerable souls, 
whom our Lady was looking upon with great affection, 
and she understood them to be those who, on preceding 
days, had prepared themselves, by devout exercises, for 
the feast of the Assumption. The devotions to be used 
for the Novenas are the following : 1st. Mental prayer, 
morning and evening, with a visit to the most holy 
Sacrament, with the addition of an “ Our Father,” 
“ Hail Mary,” and “ Glory be to the Father, &c.,” re- 
peated nine times. 2d. Three visits to some image of 
Mary, thanking the Lord for the graces granted to 
her, and asking of the Virgin every time some special 
favor ; and at one of these visits the prayer which is 
placed at the end of each of her feasts should be read. 
3d. Make many acts of love, at least one hundred, or 
fifty, to Mary and to Jesus, for we can do nothing 
more pleasing to her, as she .said to St. Bridget, than 
to love her Son : If you wish to become dear to me, 
love my Son Jesus: “Si te mihi vis devincire, ama 
filium meum Jesum.” 4th. Bead every day of the 
Novena, for a quarter of an hour, some book which 
treats of her glories. 5th. Make some external morti- 
fication of hair-cloth, discipline, &c., with fasting, or 
some abstinence at table from fruits or other agreeable 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


651 


food, at least in part ; chewing also some bitter herb : 
and on the vigil of the feast fast on bread and water. 
But all this must be done always with the permission 
of a spiritual Father. But better than all others are 
the practices in these Novenas of internal mortifications, 
as abstaining from the indulgence of curiosity, either 
through the eye or the ear ; remaining retired and si- 
lent ; obeying, not answering with impatience ; bear- 
ing contradictions, and other things of the sort, which 
may be used with less danger of vainglory and greater 
merit ; and for these, too, the permission of a director 
is not needed. The most useful exercise is to pro- 
pose, at the beginning, the amending of some fault 
into which we are most liable to fall. And to this 
end it is well, at each of the visits above named, to 
ask pardon for some past sin, renew the intention of 
avoiding it in future, and implore the help of Mary 
in -keeping this resolution. The honor most dear to 
the Virgin is the imitation of her virtues ; wherefore it 
is well in every Novena to propose to one’s self some 
special virtue of Mary, particularly adapted to the 
mystery ; as for example, on the feast of the Concep- 
tion, purity of intention ; of her Nativity, the renewing 
of the spirit and the awakening from tepidity ; of her 
Presentation, detachment from something to which 
we are most attached ; of the Annunciation, humility 
in bearing contempt, &c. ; of the Visitation, charity 
towards the neighbor, alms-giving, &c., or at least, the 
praying for sinners ; of the Purification, obedience to 
superiors; and finally, of the Assumption, the practice 


652 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


of detachment, and doing all things as a preparation 
for death, living as if every day were to be the last. 
In this way the No vena will prove of great service. 
6th. Besides the communion on the day of the feast, 
it is well to ask it more frequently of the spiritual 
father on the days of the Novena. Father Segneri 
said that we cannot honor Mary better than with Je- 
sus. For she herself, as Father Crasset relates,* re- 
vealed to a holy soul that nothing dearer could be 
offered to her than the holy communion, for there 
Jesus Christ gathers in the soul the fruit of his pas- 
sion. Hence it appears that the Virgin desires nothing 
from her servants more than the holy communion, say- 
ing : “ Come, eat the bread and drink the wine that I 
have prepared for you.”f Finally, on the day of the 
feast after communion we should offer ourselves foi 
the service of this divine mother by asking of her the 
grace of the virtue proposed in the Novena, or some 
other special favor. And it is well every year to set 
apart among others some feasts of the Virgin, to which 
we have the greatest devotion and tenderness, and 
make a particular preparation for this by dedicating 
ourselves anew, and in a more especial manner, to her 
service ; choosing her for our Lady, advocate, and 
mother.]; Then we should ask pardon for our negli- 

* To. 2, tr. 6, prat. 6. 

+ Venite, comedite panem meum, et bibite vinum quod mis- 
cui vobis. 

X At the end of the book will be found two formulas of this 
dedication ; one for a single person, and the other for a family. 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


653 


gence in her service during the past year, promising 
her greater fidelity for the year that is to come. In 
a word, let us pray her to accept us as her servants, 
and obtain for us a holy death. 

DEVOTION III. OF THE ROSARY AND OFFICE. 

The devotion of the most holy Rosary is known to 
have been revealed to St. Dominic by the divine 
mother herself, when the saint, being in affliction, and 
bewailing to his Lady the conduct of the Albigensian 
heretics, who at that time were doing great injury to 
the Church, the Virgin said to him : “ This earth will 
always be barren, until the rain falls on it.” St. 
Dominick was then given to understand that this rain 
was to be the devotion of the Rosary, and that he was 
to publish it. And indeed the saint preached it every- 
where, and this devotion was embraced by all Catho- 
lics, so that, at the present day, there is no devotion 
more practised by the faithful of every condition, than 
that of the most holy Rosary. What have not mod- 
em heretics, as Calvin, Bucer, and others said, to 
bring into contempt the use of the Rosary ? But the 
great good is well known, which this noble devotion 
has brought to the world. How many by its means 
have been freed from sin ! How many led to a holy 
life ! How many have had a good death and are now 
saved ! Let us read the various books which treat of 
it ; it is enough to know that this devotion has been 
approved by the holy Church, and the sovereign Pon- 
tiffs have attached indulgences to it. To him who 

55 * 


654 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


recites the third part of the Rosary, the indulgence 
of seventy thousand years is granted, and to him who 
recites it entire, eighty thousand, and yet more to him 
who recites it in the . chapel of the Rosary. Benedict 
XIII. at length annexed to the Rosary (for him at 
least who recites the third part of the Rosary which 
has been blessed by’ the Dominican Fathers) all the 
indulgences which are attached to the Rosaries of St. 
Bridget, namely, one hundred days for every “ Hail 
Mary” and “Our Father” that is repeated. And, 
moreover, those who recite the Rosary gain the ple- 
nary indulgence on all the principal feasts of Mary 
and of the holy Church, and also of the Dominican 
Saints, if they visit their churches after confession 
and communion. But let it be remarked that this is 
understood of those whose names are inscribed in the 
book of the Rosary, to whom a plenary indulgence is 
also granted on the day when their names are inscribed, 
provided they have made their confession and com- 
munion, and one hundred years if they wear the Ro- 
sary ; and to those who make mental prayer once a 
day, seven years each time, and a plenary indulgence 
at the end of the month. 

In order to gain the indulgences attached to the 
recitation of the Rosary, it is necessary to meditate 
the mysteries which are to be found recorded in many 
books ; but it is sufficient for those who do not know 
them to contemplate any one of the mysteries of the 
passion of Jesus Christ, as the scourging, death, &c. 
The Rosary must be recited with devotion ; and here 


GLORIES OF MART. 


655 


call to mind what the holy Virgin said to St. Eulalia, 
namely, that she was better pleased with five decades 
said with pauses and devotion, than with fifteen in 
haste and with less devotion. On this account it is 
well to say the Rosary kneeling, and before some 
image of Mary, and at the beginning of every decade 
to make an act of love to Jesus and Mary, by asking 
some favor. And, moreover, let it be remarked that 
it is more efficacious to say the Rosary in company 
with others, than to say it alone. 

Urban II. attached many indulgences to the recita- 
tion of the little office of our Lady, which is said to 
have been composed by St. Peter Damian; and the 
holy Virgin has often made known how pleasing to 
her was this devotion, as we learn from Father Auri- 
emma.* The Litanies are also very pleasing to her, 
and an indulgence of two hundred days is granted 
every time they are recited ; also the hymn, “ Hail, 
star of the sea,” “Ave Maris stella,” which the divine 
mother ordered St. Bridget to repeat every day ; and 
more than all, the “ Magnificat,” for with this we praise 
her in the very words with which she praised God. 

DEVOTION IV. OF FASTING. 

Many servants of Mary, on Saturdays and the 
vigils of her feasts, are accustomed to honor her by 
fasting on bread and water. It is well known that 
Saturday is a day dedicated by the holy Church to 
the honor of the Virgin, because on this day, says St. 

* To. 1, c. 8. 


656 


GLORIES OF MART. 


Bernard, she remained constant in the faith after the 
death of her Son.* For this reason the servants of 
Mary never fail on this day to offer her some special 
homage ; and particularly the fast on bread and water, 
as St. Charles Borromeo, Cardinal Toledo, and so 
many others practised it. Rittard, Bishop of Bam- 
berg, and- Father Joseph Arriaga, of the Society of 
Jesus, did not even taste food on Saturday. The 
great graces which the mother of God afterwards 
bestowed upon those who practised this devotion, may 
be read in the writings of Father Auriemma. It is 
sufficient for us to mention the compassion which she 
showed to that bandit chief, who, on account of this 
devotion, was permitted to remain alive, although his 
head had been cut off, and although he was under 
the displeasure of God, and was enabled to make his 
confession before dying. He afterwards declared that 
the holy Virgin, for this fasting which he had offered 
her, had preserved him in life, and he then suddenly 
expired.f It would not then be a very extraordinary 
thing, if any one, especially devoted to Mary, and 
particularly if he had already deserved hell, should 
offer to her this fast on Saturday. He who practises 
this devotion, I may say, will hardly be condemned ; 
not that our Lady will deliver him by a miracle if he 
dies in mortal sin, as happened to the bandit ; such 

* Per illud triste Sabbatum stetit in fide, propterea aptissime 
S. Ecclesia diem Sabbati per totum anni circulum celebrare con- 
suevit. L. 2, de Pass. 

t Ap. Auriem. 1. c. 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


657 


prodigies of divine mercy seldom take place, and it 
would be madness to expect eternal salvation by 
them. But I do say that the divine mother will 
readily obtain perseverance in divine grace and a good 
death for him who will practise this devotion. All 
the brothers of our little congregation who can do so, 
fast on bread and water on Saturday, in honor of 
Mary. I say those who can do so, meaning, that if 
any one is prevented from doing so on account of ill 
health, at least on Saturday he may content himself 
with one dish, make a common fast, or at least abstain 
from fruits or other agreeable food. It is necessary 
on Saturday to offer special devotions to our Lady, to 
receive communion, or, at least, hear mass, visit some 
image of the Virgin, wear hair-cloth, and the like. 
And at least on the vigils of the seven feasts of 
Mary, let her servants endeavor to offer this fasting' 
on bread, or in any other manner they are able. 

DEVOTION V. OF VISITING THE IMAGES OF MARY. 

Father Segneri says, that the devil could in no bet- 
ter way console himself for the losses he has sustained 
by the overthrow of idolatry, than by attacking sacred 
images through the heretics. But the holy Church 
has defended them even by the blood of the mar- 
tyrs ; and the divine mother has also made manifest 
by miracles, how much she is pleased by devotion 
and visits to her images. The hand of St. John of 
Damascus was cut off because he defended with his 
pen the images of Mary ; but our Lady restored it to 


658 


GLORIES OF MART. 


him in a miraculous manner. Father Spinelli relates, 
that in Constantinople, every Friday after vespers, a 
veil which hung before the image of Mary was with- 
drawn of itself, and after vespers on Saturday it closed 
of itself. The veil before an image of the Virgin was 
seen to withdraw itself, in a similar way, by St. John 
of God, whereupon the Sacristan, believing the saint 
to be a robber, struck him with his foot, but the foot 
was withered. All the servants of Mary, therefore, 
are accustomed often to visit her images’ with great 
devotion, and also the churches dedicated to her honor. 
These are, indeed, as St. John of Damascus teaches, 
the cities of refuge, where we find safety from 
temptations, and from the punishments merited by 
the sins we have committed. St. Henry, Emperor, 
when he entered a city, always visited, before 
any thing else, some church of our Lady. Father 
Thomas Sanchez never returned home until he had 
visited some church of Mary. Let us not be weary 
then of visiting our queen every day in some church 
or chapel, or in our own house, where it would be 
well for that purpose to have in some retired place a 
little oratory, with her image, adorned with drapery, 
flowers, tapers, or lamps, and before it also the lita- 
nies, the rosary, &c., may he said. For this purpose 
I have published a little book, which has already gone 
through eight editions, of Visits to the most Holy Sac- 
rament, as well as to the Virgin, for every day in the 
month. Some devout servant of Mary might cause 
one of her feasts to be celebrated in some church or 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


659 


chapel, and preceding it by a Novena, with the expo- 
sition of the Sacrament, and also with sermons. 

But here it is well to notice the fact which Father 
Spinelli relates in the “Miracles of the Madonna.”* 
In the year 1611, in the celebrated sanctuary of Mary 
in Montevergine, it happened that on the vigil of Pen- 
tecost the people who thronged there profaned that 
feast with balls, excesses, and immodest conduct, when 
a fire was suddenly discovered bursting forth from the 
house of entertainment where they were feasting, so 
that in less than an hour and a half it was consumed, 
and more than one thousand five hundred persons 
were killed. 

Five persons who remained alive affirmed upon 
oath, that they had seen the mother of God herself, 
who with two lighted torches set fire to the inn. 
After this 1 entreat the servants of Mary to abstain 
as far as they can, and to induce others to abstain 
from going to such sanctuaries of our Lady in times 
of feasting, for hell then received much more fruit 
from it, than the divine mother received honor. Let 
him who practises this devotion go and visit them at 
a time when they are not thronged. 

DEVOTION VI. OF THE SCAPULAR. 

As men take pride in having others wear their liv- 
ery, so the most holy Mary is pleased when her ser- 
vants wear her scapular, as a mark that they have dedi- 
cated themselves to her service, and are of the number 


* No. 75. 


660 


GLORIES OF MART. 


of the family of the mother of God. Modern heretics, 
of course, ridicule this devotion, but the holy Church 
has approved it by many bulls and indulgences. And 
Father Crasset relates,* and also Father Lezzana,f 
when speaking of the scapular of Mt. Carmel, that 
about the year 1251, the holy Virgin appeared to the 
blessed St. Simon Stock, an Englishman, and giving 
him her scapular, said to him that those who wore it 
should be safe from eternal damnation, in these words : 
“ Receive, oh my very beloved son, this scapular of thy 
order, the badge of my confraternity, a privilege 
granted to thee and to all other Carmelites ; and any 
one who wears this at death shall be delivered from 
eternal flames.’ And Father Crasset still further re- 
lates, that Mary appeared at another time to Pope John 
XXII., and directed him to declare to those who wore 
the above-mentioned scapular, that they should be 
released from purgatory on the Saturday after their 
death ; this the same pontiff announced in his 
bull, which was afterwards confirmed by Alexander 
V., Clement VII., and others, as the above-named 
Father Crasset relates in the passage before cited. 
And as we have remarked in the first part,§ Paul V. 
mentions the same, and appears to explain the bulls 
of the preceding pontiffs, prescribing in his bull the 

* To. 2, tr. 6, p. 4. + In Marc. c. 5, n. 10. 

X Accipe, fili dilectissime, hoc tui ordinis scapulare, mese con- 
fraternitatis signum, tibi et cunctis Carmelitis privilegium ; in 
quo quis moriens seternum non patietur incendium. Ap. Lez. 
1. cit. 

§ C. 8, s. 2. 


GLORIES OF MARY. 661 

conditions to be observed in order to gain the indul- 
gences annexed, namely, the observance of chastity 
according to the state of life, the recitation of the little 
office of the Virgin, and for him who cannot recite 
that, the observance, at least, of the fasts of the 
Church and abstinence from meat on Wednesday. Thus 
the indulgences that are attached to this scapular of 
our Lady of Mt. Carmel, as well as to the others of 
the dolors of Mary, of Mary of Mercy, and particu- 
larly to that of the Conception, are innumerable, daily, 
and plenary, in life and at the article of death. For 
myself, I have taken all the above-mentioned scapu- 
lars. And let it be particularly made known that, 
besides many particular indulgences, there are annexed 
to the scapular of the Immaculate Conception, which 
is blessed by the Theatine Fathers, all the indulgences 
which are granted to any religious order, pious place, 
or person. And particularly by reciting “ Our Father,” 
“ Hail Mary,” and “ Glory be to the Father,” six times, 
in honor of the most holy Trinity and of the immacu- 
late Mary, are gained each time all the indulgences of 
Rome, Portiuncula, Jerusalem, Galicia, which reach 
the number of four hundred and thirty-three plenary 
indulgences, besides the temporal, which are innumera- 
ble. All this is transcribed from a sheet printed by 
the same Theatine Fathers. 

56 


662 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


DEVOTION VII. OF ENTERING INTO THE CONFRA- 

TERNITIES OF MARY. 

Some persons disapprove of confraternities, saying 
that they give rise to contention, and that many per- 
sons join them for human ends. But as the Church 
and the sacraments are not condemned because there 
are many who abuse them, neither should we condemn 
the confraternities. The sovereign pontiffs, instead of 
condemning them, have approved and highly com- 
mended them, and enriched them with indulgences. 
St. Francis of Sales earnestly exhorts laymen to enter 
into the confraternities. What did not St. Charles 
Borromeo do to establish and multiply these sodal- 
lities ? And in his synods he distinctly intimates to 
confessors that they should endeavor to induce their 
penitents to join them.* And with reason, for these 
confraternities, especially those of our Lady, are like 
so many arks of Noe, in which the poor people of the 
world may find refuge from the deluge of temptations 
and sins which inundate them in it. We well learn in 
the course of our missions the utility of these confra- 
ternities. Speaking exactly, there are found more 
sins in a man who does not belong to the confrater- 
nities than in twenty who frequent them. The con- 
fraternity may be said to be the tower of David: 
“ The tower of David, a thousand bucklers hang upon 

* Confessor pro viribus suadebit, nt alicui societati poeniten- 
tes adscribantur. Act. Med. to. 1, c. 6, 58. 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


663 


it, all the armor of valiant men.”* * * § And this is the 
cause of the good obtained from the confraternities, 
namely, that their members acquire in them many de- 
fences against hell ; and they make use in them of 
many means to preserve themselves in divine grace, 
which it is very difficult for persons in the world, who 
are not in confraternities, to practise. 

In the first place, one of the means of salvation is 
meditating on eternal truths : “ Remember thy last 
end, and thou shalt never sin.”f And so many are 
lost because they do not think of it : “ With desolation 
is all the land made desolate, because there is none that 
considereth in the heart.”J But those who belong to 
the confraternity are led to think by the many medi- 
tations, readings, and sermons that are made there. 
My sheep hear my voice : “ Oves mese vocem meam 
audiunt.”§ Secondly, In order to be saved it is 
necessary to commend one’s self to God : Ask, and 
you shall receive : “ Petite, et accipietis.”|| And the 
brothers of the confraternities do this continually ; and 
God hears them more graciously, because he has him- 
self said, that he will willingly grant great graces to 
prayers made in common : “ If two of you shall agree 
upon earth concerning any thing, whatsoever they 

* Turris David, mille clypei pendent ex ea, omnis armatura 
fortium. Cant. iv. 4. 

f Memorare novissima tua, et in teternum non peccabis. 
Eccli. vii. 40. 

X Desolatione desolata est omnis terra, quia nullus est qui 
recogitet corde. Jer. xii. 11. 

§ Joan. x. 27. 


11 Joan. xvi. 24. 


664 


GLORIES OF MART. 


shall ask, it shall be done for them by my Father who 
is in heaven.”* Concerning which St. Ambrose says : 
Many who are small, if they unite together become 
great; and the prayers'of many cannot but be heard.f 
In the third place, in the confraternity the sacraments 
are more frequently approached, on account of the 
rules, as well as on account of the example of other 
members. And by this means perseverance in divine 
grace is more easily obtained ; the holy Council of Trent 
having declared the communion to be : “ An antidote by 
which we are freed from daily sins, and are preserved 
from mortal sins.”J; Fourthly, Besides the sacraments 
in the sodalities, there are practised many exercises of 
mortification, humility, and charity towards infirm and 
poor members ; and it would be well if in every con- 
fraternity were introduced the holy custom of assisting 
the infirm poor of the country. It would be a still 
greater advantage if there could be introduced into 
them, in honor of the divine mother, the secret sodality 
of more fervent members. I will here enumerate the 
exercises that are usually practised in these. 1. Half 
an hour of reading. 2. Vespers and complin of the 
Holy Spirit are said. 3. The litanies of the Virgin 
are repeated, and then some brothers who are desig- 
nated, practise mortifications by bearing the cross 

* Si duo ex vobis consenserint super terram, de omni re, 
quamcumque petierint, fiet illis a Patre meo. Matth. xviii. 19. 

t Multi minimi, dum congregantur unanimes, fiunt magni; 
et multorum preces impossibile est non audiri. 

X Tamquam antidotum quo liberemur a culpis quotidianis, et 
apeccatis mortalibus prseservemur. Sess. 18, c. 2. 


GLORIES OF MARY. 665 

upon their shoulders, or others of a similar kind. 
4. For one quarter of an hour a meditation is made 
on the passion of Jesus Christ. 5. Each one accuses 
himself of any violation against the rules of which he 
has been guilty, and receives penance for it from the 
father of the congregation. 6. The little flowers of mor- 
tification made during the past week are read by one 
of the brothers who is selected, and then the Novenas 
to be said are announced, &c. Finally, the discipline 
is made for the space of a Miserere and a Salve, and 
every one kisses the feet of the crucifix which is at the 
foot of the altar. The rules, then, would be for each 
brother: 1. To make a meditation everyday. 2. A 
visit to the most holy Sacrament and to the blessed 
Virgin. 3. In the evening an examination of con- 
science. 4. Spiritual reading. 5. To avoid games 
and the conversation of the world. 6. To frequent 
the communion and practise some mortification of the 
chain, discipline, &c. 7. To recommend every day to 

God the souls in purgatory, and sinners. 8. If any 
brother is sick, to visit him. But let us return to our 
subject. In the fifth place : It has already been said 
how much more sure is our salvation if we serve the 
mother of God ; and do not the brothers serve her in 
the congregation ? How much do they praise her 
there ! How many prayers do they offer up to her ! 
There they consecrate themselves from the beginning 
to her service, choosing her, in an especial manner, 
for their Lady and mother ; and they are inscribed in 
the book of the children of Mary ; hence as they are 

56 * 


666 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


distinguished servants and children of the Virgin, she 
therefore treats them with distinction, and protects 
them in life and in death. Thus a brother of the con- 
fraternity may say that, with the confraternity, he has 
received every blessing : Now all good things come 
to me together with her : “ Venerunt mihi omnia bona 
pariter cum ilia.”* 

Every brother should pay particular attention to 
two things. First, as to the end ; that is, to enter the 
confraternity for no other end but to serve God and 
his holy Mother, and save his own soul. 2d. Not to 
leave the congregation on the appointed days, for af- 
fairs of the world, since there the most important bu- 
siness in the world is to be transacted, namely, eternal 
salvation. Endeavor also to draw as many as you can 
to the confraternity, and especially to induce those 
brothers who have left it to return to it again. Oh, 
what terrible punishments has our Lord caused those 
to suffer who have abandoned the confraternity of our 
Lady ! In Naples a certain brother left the congrega- 
tion, and being exhorted to return, he said : I will re- 
turn when my legs are broken and my head cut off. 
And he was a prophet : for very soon after his legs 
were broken and his head cut off by some of his ene- 
mies, f On the other hand, the members who perse- 
vere are favored by Mary with spiritual and tem- 
poral good : All her domestics are clothed with double 
garments: “ Omnes domestici ejus vestiti sunt dupli- 


Sap. vii. 11. 


t Ap. Sarn. d. Congr. p. 1. 


GLORIES OF MART. 


667 


cibus.”* We may read in Father Auriemmaf the 
special graces granted by Mary to the brothers of the 
confraternity in life and in death, but especially in 
death. Father Crasset relates;); that in 1586 there 
was a youth who, being near death, fell asleep ; but 
afterwards awaking, he said to his confessor : “ Oh 
Father, I have been in great danger of hell, but my 
Lady has rescued me. The devils have presented my 
sins before the tribunal of the Lord, and already they 
were dragging me to hell, but the holy Virgin came 
and said to them : * Where are you taking this youth ? 
What have you to do with one of my servants who 
has so long served me in the congregation V The 
devils fled, and thus I have been saved from their 
hands.” The same author relates soon after that 
another brother of the congregation, also at the point 
of death, had a great conflict with hell ; but he con- 
quered, and full of joy, exclaimed : “ Oh, what bless- 
ings come from serving the blessed mother well in her 
confraternity !” And thus entirely consoled, he died. 
He afterwards adds that the Duke of Popoli being on 
his death-bed, said to his son :“My son, know that the 
little good I have done in life I owe to the congrega- 
tion ; and therefore I have no greater good to leave 
thee than the confraternity of Mary. I am more 
proud of having been a brother of the congregation 
than the Duke of Popoli”. 


* Prov. xxxi. 21. 


f To. 2, c. 4. 


X To. 2, pr. 5. 


668 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


DEVOTION VIII. OF ALMS IN HONOR OF MARY. 

The servants of Mary are accustomed, especially on 
Saturday, to give alms in honor of the divine mother. 
That holy shoemaker called St. Deusdedit (God gave), 
as St. Gregory relates in his Dialogues, dispensed to 
the poor on Saturday all that he earned during the 
week. And another holy soul saw in a vision a 
sumptuous palace which God was preparing in 
heaven for this servant of Mary, in the building of 
which nothing was done except on Saturday. St. 
Gerard never refused any thing that was asked him in 
the name of Mary. Father Martin Guttierez, of the 
Society of Jesus, did the same, and he confessed that 
he had never asked a favor from Mary that he had 
not received it. And this servant of hers having been 
slain by the Huguenots, the divine mother appeared 
to his companions, accompanied by some virgins, whom 
she directed to wrap the body in a sheet and carry it 
away.* St. Eberard of Salisbury practised the same 
devotion, and on this account a holy monk saw him, 
in the form of a child, in the arms of Mary, who said : 
“ This is my Son Eberard, who never has refused me 
any thing. ”f Alexander de Hales practised the same, 
who, having been requested by a lay-brother of St. 
Francis, in the name of Mary, to become a Franciscan, 
left the world and entered into the order. J Let not 

* Ap. P. Pepe. to. 5, Lez. 235, in fin. 

t Hie est filius meus Eberardus, qui nihil mihi unquam ne- 
gavit. \ P. Auriem. to. 1, c. 12. 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


669 


the servants of the Virgin then he weary of giving 
daily some little alms in her honor, and increase it 
every Saturday. And if they can do nothing else, at 
least for love of Mary, perform some other act of 
charity, as visiting the sick, praying for sinners and 
for the souls in purgatory, &c. Works of mercy are 
very pleasing to this mother of mercy. 

DEVOTION IX. OF FREQUENT RECOURSE TO MARY. 

Of all devotions, none is so pleasing to our mother, 
as recurring often to her intercession, by asking help 
of her in all special necessities, as in taking or giving 
counsel, in dangers, afflictions, and temptations, par- 
ticularly in temptations against purity. The divine 
mother will certainly deliver us if we have recourse 
to her with the Antiphon : We fly to thy patronage : 
“ Sub tuum praesidium,” etc., or with a “ Hail Mary,” 
or only invoking the most holy name of Mary, which 
has particular power against demons. The blessed St. 
Francis, in a temptation against purity, had recourse 
to Mary, and she immediately appeared to him, and 
placing her hand upon his breast, delivered him. It 
is useful to kiss or press the rosary, or the scapular, 
or even to look on some image of the Virgin. And 
be it known that Benedict XIII. granted fifty days’ 
indulgence to those who pronounce the name of J esus 
and Mary. 


670 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


TENTH AND LAST DEVOTION. 

I unite in this various practices of devotion in honor 
of Mary. 1. To celebrate, or cause to be celebrated, 
or at least to hear Mass in honor of the holy Virgin. 
It is true that the holy sacrifice of the Mass can be 
offered only to God, to whom it is offered principally 
in acknowledgment of his supreme dominion ; but as 
the sacred Council of Trent declares,* this does not 
prevent it from being offered to God in gratitude for 
the graces bestowed on the saints and his most holy 
mother, and in commemoration of them, that they may 
deign to intercede for us. And therefore it is said in 
the Mass : “ That it may avail to their honor, but to 
our salvation. ”f This offering of the Mass, as also 
the repeating three “ Our Fathers,” “Hail Marys,” 
and “ Glories” to the most holy Trinity, in gratitude 
for the graces granted to Mary, she herself revealed to 
a soul, were very pleasing to her ; for the Virgin not 
being able fully to thank the Lord for all the favors 
bestowed on her, is pleased w'hen her children help 
her to thank God. 2d. To reverence the saints who 
are most closely united to Mary, as St. Joseph, St. 
Joachim, and St. Ann. The Virgin herself recom- 
mended to a nobleman the devotion to St. Ann her 
mother.! And we should also honor the saints w r ho 
had the most special devotion to the divine mother, 

* Sess. 22, c. 3. 

t Ut illis proficiat ad honorem, nobis autem ad salutem. 

X 1 Barry, Pa. Ap. 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


671 


as St. John the Evangelist, St. John the Baptist, St. 
Bernard, St. John of Damascus, the defender of her 
images, St. Ildephonsus, the defender of her virginity, 
&c. 3d. To read every day some book which treats 

of the glories of Mary. To preach, or at least recom- 
mend to all, particularly to one’s relatives, devotion to 
the divine mother. The Virgin one day said to St. 
Bridget : “ Make thy children my children.” To pray 
daily for the living and dead who were most devoted 
to Maiy. 

Let us here enumerate many other indulgences 
granted by the Pontiffs to those who, in various ways, 
honor this queen of heaven : 1st. To those who say : 
“ Blessed be the holy and immaculate conception of 
the blessed Virgin Mary,” an indulgence of one hun- 
dred years is granted ; and when after the word “ im- 
maculate,” the word “most pure” is added, accord- 
ing to Father Crasset, other indulgences are granted, 
applicable to the souls in purgatory. 2d. For the 
“ Salve Regina,” forty days. 3d. Litanies, two hun- 
dred days. 4th. To those who bow the head at the 
names of Jesus and of Mary, twenty days. 5th. To 
those who repeat five “ Our Fathers” and “ Hail 
Marys” in honor of the passion of Jesus and the do- 
lors of Mary, ten thousand years. And for the con- 
venience of devout souls, I will here mention other in- 
dulgences, attached by the Sovereign Pontiffs to other 
devotions : 1st. To him who hears Mass, three thou- 
sand eight hundred years. 2d. Benedict XIV. granted 
seven years’ indulgence to those who make the Chris- 


672 


GLORIES OF MART. 


tian acts, with the intention of receiving, in life and in 
death the holy sacraments ; and if they are continued 
for a month, plenary indulgence applicable to the souls 
in purgatory, or to themselves at the article of death. 
3d. To those who recite fifteen “ Our Fathers” and 
“ Hail Marys,” for sinners, remission of the third part 
of their sins. 4 th. Pope Benedict XIV. has granted 
more indulgences to those who make mental prayer 
for half an hour every day, and plenary once a month, 
after confession and communion. 5th. To those who 
recite the prayer : Soul of Christ, “ Anima Cliris- 
ti,” etc., three hundred days. 6. Those who accom- 
pany the viaticum, obtain five years’ indulgence, and 
with lights seven years ; and those who cannot do this, 
if they accompany it reciting an “ Our Father” and 
‘‘Hail Mary,” one hundred days. 7th. Those who 
kneel before the most holy Sacrament, gain two hun- 
dred days. 8th. Those who kiss the cross, one year 
and forty days. Those who bow the head at the 
“Glory be to the Father,” thirty days. 10th. To 
priests who before Mass recite: I wish to celebrate 
Mass, &c., “ Ego volo celebrare missam,” etc., fifty 
days are granted. 11th. To those who kiss the regu- 
lar scapular, five years. Other indulgences may be 
found in the works of Father Viva.* Let every one 
endeavor, when seeking the above-named indulgences, 
to make an act of contrition, that he may be in a dis- 
position to gain them. 

I omit other devotions, which are to be found in 
* Append. Indulg. in calce Trut. s. nit. 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


673 


other books, as the seven joys, the twelve privileges 
of Mary, and the like, and let us terminate this work 
with the beautiful words of St. Bernardine :* “ Oh 
woman, blessed among all women, thou art the honor 
of the human race, the salvation of our people. Thou 
hast a merit that has no limits, and an entire power 
over all creatures. Thou art the mother of God, the 
mistress of the world, the queen of heaven. Thou art 
the dispenser of all graces, the glory of the holy 
Church. Thou art the example of the just, the con- 
solation of the saints, and the source of our salvation. 
Thou art the joy of paradise, the gate of heaven, the 
glory of God. Behold, we have published thy praises. 
We supplicate thee then, oh mother of mercy, to 
strengthen our weakness, to pardon our boldness, to 
accept our service, to bless our labors, and impress 
thy love upon the hearts of all, that after having hon- 
ored and loved thy Son on earth, we may praise and 
bless him eternally in heaven. Amen.” 

And with this, my dear reader and brother, lover of 
our mother Mary, I leave you, saying to you, continue 
joyfully to honor and love this good Lady ; endeavor 
also to promote the love of her wherever you can, and 
do not doubt, but securely trust that if you persevere 
in true devotion to Mary, even until death, your salva- 
tion will be certain. I finish, not because I have 
nothing more to say of the glories of this great queen, 
but that I may not weary you. The little that I have 
written may indeed be enough to charm you with this 

* Serm. 61. 

57 


674 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


great treasure of devotion to the mother of God, with 
which she will correspond with her powerful patron- 
age. Accept, then, the desire I have had by this my 
work, to see you safe and holy, to see you become a 
loving and ardently devoted child of this most amiable 
queen. And if you know that this book of mine has 
aided you somewhat, I pray you of your charity rec- 
ommend me to Mary, and ask of her the grace that I 
ask for you, namely, that we may both meet in para- 
dise at her feet, together with all her other dear 
children. 

And last of all, I turn to thee, oh mother of my 
Lord, and my mother Mary. I pray thee to accept 
these my poor labors, and the desire I have had to 
see thee praised and loved by all. Thou knowest 
how much I have desired to complete this my little 
work on thy glories, before my life, which is now 
drawing to a close, should end. I now say that I 
die content, leaving on the earth this book of mine, 
which will continue to praise and to preach thee, as I 
have endeavored always to do in these years since my 
conversion, which through thee I have obtained from 
God. Oh immaculate Mary, I recommend to thee 
all those who love thee, and especially those who 
will read this my book; and most especially those 
who will exercise the charity of recommending me to 
thee ; oh Lady, give them perseverance, make them 
all saints, and thus bring us all to praise thee together 
in heaven. Oh, my most sweet mother, it is true that 
I am a poor sinner, but I glory in loving thee, and I 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


675 


hope great things from thee, among others, that I may- 
die loving thee. I hope in the sufferings of my death, 
when the devil will place my sins before me, that first 
the passion of Jesus, and next, thy intercession, may 
give me comfort to quit this miserable life in the grace 
of God, to come to love him and thank thee, oh my 
mother, through all eternity. Amen. Thus I hope, 
thus may it be. 

Oh Lady, say for us to thy Son : “ They have no 
wine.” How bright and clear is the intoxicating cup 
of this wine ! The love of God inebriates us even to 
contempt of the world; it warms and strengthens, 
renders us insensible to temporal things, and inclined 
to heavenly things.* 

Thou art a fruitful field, full of virtues, full of 
graces. Thou didst come forth as a bright and 
ruddy dawn ; for original sin being destroyed in the 
womb of thy mother, thou wast born bright in the 
knowledge of truth, and ruddy with the love of virtue ; 
no enemy has power against thee, for a thousand 
bucklers hang upon thee, all the armor of valiant 
men ; for there is no virtue which does not shine in 
thee, and thou in thyself dost possess all that belongs 
to every saint.f 

* Domina die pro nobis filio tuo, vinum non habent. Calix 
hujus vini inebrians quam prteclarus est! Inebriat amor Dei 
ad contemptum mundi; calefacit, facit fortes, somnolentes ad 
temporalia, et ad invisibilia promptos. S. Bern, aut quisquis 
est auctor in Salv. Reg. Serm. 4. 

f Tu es ager plenus, plena virtutum, plena gratiarum. Tu. 
processisti ut aurora lucida, et rubicunda ; quia superatis origi- 


676 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


Oh our Lady, our mediatrix, our advocate, com- 
mend us to thy Son. Oh blessed one, obtain by the 
grace which thou didst merit, that he who, through 
thy means has deigned to become a partaker of our 
infirmity and misery, thou also interceding, may make 
us partakers of his blessedness and glory.* 

Live Jesus, Mary, and Joseph. 

nalibus peccatis in utero matris, nata es lucida cognitione veri- 
tatis, etrubicunda amore virtutis ; nihil omnino inimicus proficit 
in te, eo quod mille clypei pependerunt ex te, omnis armatura 
fortium ; nihil est enim virtutis quod ex te non resplendeat, et 
quicquid singuli habuere sancti, tu sola possedisti. Ibid. 

* 0 Domina nostra, mediatrix nostra, advocata nostra, tu filio 
nos commenda. Fac, o benedicta, per gratiam quaru meruisti, ut 
qui, te mediante, dignatus est fieri particeps nostrae infirmitatis 
et miseriae, te quoque intercedente, participes nos faciat beatitu- 
dinis et gloriae suas. Ibid. 


« 



VARIOUS ADDITIONAL EXAMPLES 

APPERTAINING TO 

THE MOST HOLY MARY. 


MEDITATIONS FOR VARIOUS EESTIVALS, AND DIFFERENT 
DEVOTIONS IN HER HONOR. 


* 

. 












VARIOUS ADDITIONAL EXAMPLES 


APPERTAINING TO THE MOST HOLY MARY. 

Some persons, boasting of being free from preju- 
dices, take great credit to themselves for believing no 
miracles but those recorded in the holy Scriptures, 
esteeming all others as tales and fables for foolish 
women. But it will be well to repeat here a just re- 
mark of the learned and pious Father John Crasset,* 
who says that the bad are as ready to deride miracles 
as the good are to believe them ; adding, that as it is 
a weakness to give credit to all things, so, on the other 
hand, to reject miracles which come to us attested by 
grave and pious men, either savors of infidelity, which 
supposes them impossible to God, or of presumption, 
which refuses belief to such a class of authors. We 
give credit to a Tacitus and a Suetonius, and can we 
deny it without presumption to Christian authors of 
learning and probity ? There is less risk, says Father 
Camsius, in believing and receiving what is related 
with some probability by honest persons, and not re- 
jected by the learned, and which serves for the edifi- 
cation of our neighbor, than in rejecting it with a dis- 
dainful and presumptuous spirit. | 


* To. 2, tr. 6, prat. 20. 


t L. 3, de Deip. c. 18. 


680 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


1st Example. — A certain man in Germany had 
committed a great sin, and was ashamed to confess it, 
yet on the other hand he could not endure the remorse 
which he felt, and went to cast himself into the river ; 
but just as he was on the point of doing so, he stopped, 
and bursting into tears, prayed God to pardon him 
without confession. One night in his sleep he felt 
some one waking him, and heard a voice saying : Go 
and make your confession. He went to the church, 
but yet did not make his confession. He heard the 
same voice a second night : again he went to the 
church, but after he had entered it, said that he would 
rather die than confess that sin. He was about to 
return home, when he thought he would go and rec- 
ommend himself to the most holy Mary, before her 
image which was in the church. He had hardly 
kneeled before it, when he felt himself entirely changed. 
He immediately arose, called for a confessor, and weep- 
ing bitterly, through grace received from the Virgin, 
made a sincere confession ; and he afterwards said that 
he felt greater satisfaction than if he had gained all 
the gold in the world.* 

2. — A young nobleman was reading one day, while 
at sea, an obscene book, in which he took great pleas- 
ure. A religious said to him: “ Now come, would 
you give something to our Lady?” “Yes,” he an- 
swered ; and the other said, “ I wish that, for love of 
the holy Virgin, you would tear that book in pieces 
and cast it into the sea.” “ Here it is, Father,” said 
* Annal. Soc. 1650, Ap. Auriem. Aff. Scamb. t. 8, c. 7. 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


681 


the young man. “ No,” said' the religious, “ I wish 
that you yourself would make this offering to Mary.” 
He did so, and when he returned to Genoa, his native 
place, the mother of God so inflamed his heart with 
the love of -God, that he became a religious.* 

3. — A hermit of Mount Olivet had in his cell a holy 
image of Mary, and frequently offered up prayers be- 
fore it. The devil could not endure such devotion to 
the holy Virgin, and tormented him continually with 
temptations against purity ; and the poor old hermit 
finding himself still pursued by them, notwithstanding 
all his prayers and mortifications, said one day to the 
enemy : “ What have I done to you, that you will not 
leave me in peace ?” And the demon appeared to 
him and answered : “You torment me more than I 
torment you ;” and then he added : “ Now come, 
and swear secrecy to me, and I will tell you what you 
must cease to do, if you wish me not to molest you 
any more.” The hermit took the oath, and then the 
devil said to him : “ I wish you never again to ap- 
proach that image that you have in your cell.” The 
hermit was greatly perplexed, and went to take coun- 
sel of the Abbot Theodore, who told him that he was 
not bound by his oath, and that he must not cease to 
recommend himself to Mary before that image, as he 
had done before. The hermit obeyed, and the devil 
was put to shame and conquered.f 

4. — A woman who had been guilty of a criminal 
connection with two young men, one of whom had 

* Ann. Marian. 1505. t Bonif. Hist. Virg. c. 6. 




682 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


killed tlie other, came one day in great terror to 
Father Onefrio d’Anna, a pious missionary in the 
kingdom of Naples, to make her confession. She 
told the Father that in the same hour in which that 
wretched youth had died, he appeared tcrher, clothed 
in black, loaded w T ith chains, and cast fire on every 
side. He had a sword in his hand,, and raised it to 
cut her throat. In terror she exclaimed: “What 
have I done to you, that you wish to kill me ?” And 
in a rage he answered : “ Wretch, do you ask what 
you have done to me? You have caused me to lose 
God.” Then she invoked the blessed Virgin; and 
that spectre, on hearing the most holy name of Mary 
pronounced, disappeared and was seen no more.* 

5. — When St. Deminic was preaching at Carcas- 
sone, in France, an Albigensian heretic, who was pos- 
sessed by demons, was brought to him, because he had 
publicly spoken against the devotion of the most holy 
Rosary. The saint then ordered the demons, in the 
name of God, to declare whether those things which 
he had said concerning the most holy Rosary were 
true ; and howling w r ith rage they said : “ Hear, oh 
Christians, all that this our enemy has said of Mary 
and of the most holy Rosary is entirely true.” They 
added, moreover, that they had no power against 
the servants of Mary ; and that many who at death 
invoked Mary were saved, contrary to their deserts. 
And finally they said : “ We are constrained to de- 
clare, that no one is lost who perseveres in devotion 
* In Vit. p. Aut. de Collel. c. 82, s. 5. 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


683 


to Mary, and in the devotion of the most holy Rosary, 
for Mary obtains for sinners a true repentance before 
death.” St. Dominick made the people immediately 
repeat the Rosary ; and, oh miracle ! at every “ Hail 
Mary,” many devils went out from that wretched man, 
in the shape of burning coals, so that when the Rosary 
was finished, he was entirely freed from them, and 
many heretics became converted.* 

6. — The daughter of a certain prince had entered 
a monastery, where the discipline was so relaxed, that, 
although she was a young person of good dispositions, 
she advanced but little in virtue. By the advice of a 
good confessor, she began to say the Rosary with the 
mysteries, and became so changed that she was an 
example to all. The other religious, taking offence at 
her for withdrawing from them, attacked her on all 
sides, to induce her to abandon her newly-begun way 
of life. One day while she was repeating the Rosary, 
and praying Mary to assist her in that persecution, 
she saw a letter fall from above. On the outside were 
written these words : “ Mary, mother of God, to her 
daughter Jane, greeting;” and within: “My dear 
child, continue to say my Rosary; withdraw from 
intercourse with those who do not help you to live 
well ; beware of idleness and vanity ; take from thy 
cell two superfluous things, and I will be your pro- 
tectress with God.” The abbot of that monastery 
soon after visited it, and attempted to reform it, but 
he did not succeed ; and one day he saw a great num- 
* Pacciuch. in Sal. Ang. Exc. 4, No. 10. 


684 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


ber of demons entering the cells of all the nuns ex- 
cept that of Jane, for the divine mother, before whose 
image he saw her praying, banished them from that. 
When he heard from her of the devotion of the 
Rosary which she practised, and the letter she had 
received, he ordered all the others to repeat it, and it 
is related that this monastery became a paradise.* 

7. — There lived in Rome a woman, called Catherine 
the beautiful, who led a very sinful life. Hearing St. 
Dominick once preach on the devotion of the most holy 
Rosary, she had her name inscribed in the book of the 
confraternity, and began to recite it, but did not aban- 
don her sinful life. One evening a youth, apparently 
a noble, came to her house, whom she received cour- 
teously. When they were at supper, she saw drops 
of blood falling from his hands while he was breaking 
a piece of bread, and then she observed that all the 
food he took was tinged with blood. She asked him 
what that blood meant ? And the youth answered, 
that a Christian should take no food that was not 
tinged with the blood of Jesus Christ, seasoned with 
the memory of his passion. Amazed at this, she 
asked him who he was. “ Soon,” he answered, “ I 
will show you and when they had withdrawn into 
another apartment, the appearance of the youth 
changed, and he showed himself crowned with thorns, 
his flesh torn, and said to her : “Do you wish to know 
who I am? Do you not know me? I am thy 
Redeemer. Catherine, when will you cease to offend 
* Bonif. 1. 4, c. 4, ex. B. Alan. etc. 


GL OKIES OF MARY. 


685 


me ? See how much I have suffered for you. You 
have grieved me enough, change your life.” Cath- 
erine began to weep bitterly, and Jesus, encouraging 
her, said : “ Now begin to love me as much as you 
have offended me ; and know that you have received 
this grace from me, on account of the Rosary you 
have been accustomed to recite in honor of my mother.” 
And then he disappeared. Catherine went in the 
morning to make her confession to St. Dominick ; and 
giving to the poor all she possessed, led so holy a life, 
that she attained to great perfection. The Virgin often 
appeared to her ; and Jesus himself revealed to St. 
Dominick, that this penitent had become very dear to 
him.'* 

8. — The blessed Alanus relates of a lady, named 
Dominica, who was accustomed to recite the Rosary, 
that she gave up this devotion, and afterwards became 
so poor, that in desperation she stabbed herself in three 
different places. But just as she was breathing her 
last, and the devils came to take her to hell, the most: 
holy Mary appeared to her, and said to her : “ My 
daughter, you have forgotten me, but I have not been 
willing to forget you, on account of that Rosary which 
you have for a time recited in my honor. And now,” 
she added, “if you will continue to recite it, I will 
restore life to you, and also the possessions you have 
lost.” Dominica was restored to health, and continu- 
ing the practice of reciting the Rosary, recovered her 
possessions, and at her death was again visited by 

* Diotall. to. 2, Dom. 2, Quinquag. 

58 


686 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


Mary, who commended her fidelity, and she died a 
holy death.* 

9. — There lived in Saragossa a certain noble, a very 
bad man ; his name was Peter, and he was a relation 
of St. Dominick. One day when the saint was preach- 
ing, he saw Peter enter the church, and he prayed 
the Lord that he would make known to the audience 
the condition of that miserable sinner. And, behold, 
Peter then appeared like a monster from hell, sur- 
rounded and dragged along by many devils. The 
congregation fled, even his wife who was in the 
church, and the servants who accompanied him. Then 
St. Dominick directed him, through one of his com- 
panions, to recommend himself to Mary, and to begin 
to recite the Rosary which he sent him. Peter 
received the message, humbled himself, sent to thank 
the saint, and received himself the grace to see the 
demons that surrounded him. He afterwards went 
to make his confession to the saint himself, from 
whom he received the assurance that he was already 
pardoned, and continuing to recite the Rosary, he 
attained to so happy a state, that one day the Lord 
made him appear in church, in the presence of the 
whole congregation, crowned with three crowns of 
roses.f 

* Ap. Auriem. to. 2, c. 11. 

t Cartag. to. 4, 1. ult. s. 114. Let any one who wishes for 
•other examples of the power of the Rosary, read those at the 
end of the first vol. of the above-mentioned work, pages 68, 92, 
133, 262, 302. 


GLORIES OF MART. 


687 


10. — In the mountains of Trent lived a notorious 
robber, who when he was one day admonished by a 
religious to change his course of life, answered, that 
for him there was no remedy. “ Do not say so,” said 
the religious ; “do what I tell you ; fast on Saturday 
in honor of Mary, and on that day do no harm to any 
one, and she will obtain for you the grace of not dying 
under the displeasure of God.” The obedient robber 
followed this advice, and made a vow to continue to 
do so. That he might not break it, he from that time 
went unarmed on Saturdays. It happened that on a 
Saturday he was found by the officers of justice, and 
that he might not break his oath, he allowed himself 
to be taken without resistance. The judge, when he 
saw that he was a gray-haired old man, wished to 
pardon him ; but, through the grace of compunction 
which he had received from Mary, he said that he 
wished to die in punishment of his sins. He also 
made a public confession of all the sins of his life in 
that same judgment-hall, weeping so bitterly that all 
present wept with him. He was beheaded, and buried, 
with but little ceremony, in a grave dug near by. 
But afterwards the mother of God appeared, with 
four holy virgins, who took the dead body from that 
place, wrapped it in a rich cloth, embroidered with 
gold, and bore it themselves to the gate of the city ; 
there the blessed Virgin said to the guards : “ Tell the 
bishop from me,* to give an honorable burial, in such 
a church, to this dead person, for he was my faithful 
servant.” And this was done. All the people of the 


688 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


place thronged to the spot, where they found the 
corpse, with the rich pall, and the bier on which it 
was placed. And from that time, says Cesarius, all 
persons in that region began to fast on Saturdays.* 

11. — A devout servant of Mary, who lived in Por- 
tugal, fasted on bread and water every Saturday of 
his life, in honor of Mary, and chose for his advocates 
with the blessed Virgin, St. Michael and St. John the 
Evangelist. At the hour of his death the queen of 
heaven appeared to him, with those saints, who were 
praying for him, and the holy Virgin, looking upon 
her servant with a joyful countenance, said to those 
saints :“I will not depart hence without taking this 
soul with me.” 

12. — In one of our missions, after the sermon on 
Mary which it is our custom to preach, a very old 
man came to one of the Fathers of our congregation, 
to make his confession. He was full of consolation, 
and said : “ Our Lady has done me a favor.” “ And 
what favor has she done you ?” asked the confessor. 
“For thirty-five years, Father, I have made sacri- 
legious confessions, because I was ashamed of one 
sin, and yet I have passed through many dangers, 
and have been several times at the point of death, 
and if I had died then I certainly should have been 
lost ; and now our Lady has done me the favor to 
touch my heart and when he said this he wept so 
bitterly, that he seemed to be all tenderness. After 
the Father had heard his confession, he asked him 

* Theoph. Rayu. de S. Lacr. c. 15. 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


689 


what devotion he had practised, and he answered that 
he had never failed on Saturday to keep a strict fast 
in honor of Mary, and therefore the Virgin had taken 
pity on him, and he gave the Father permission to pub- 
lish the fact in his sermons. 

13. — In the country of Normandy a certain robber 
was beheaded, and his head was thrown into a trench ; 
but afterwards it was heard crying : “ Mary, give me 
confession.’' A priest went to him and heard his 
confession ; and questioning him as to his practices of 
devotion, the robber answered that he had no other 
except that of fasting one day of the week in honor 
of the holy Virgin, and that for this our Lady had 
obtained for him the grace to be delivered from hell 
by that confession.* 

14. — There were two young noblemen living in the 
city of Madrid who encouraged each other in their 
sinful life. One of them saw one night, in a dream, 
his companion seized by some Moors and carried to 
the shore of a stormy sea. They were about to do 
the same with him, but he had recourse to Mary, and 
made a vow that he would become a religious at once,, 
and thus he was rescued from these Moors ; then he- 
saw Jesus* seated on a throne, and as if in anger, and 
the holy Virgin supplicating and obtaining mercy for 
him. When his friend came to visit him he related to 
him the vision, but he laughed at it ; and shortly after 
was stabbed with a poniard and died. When the 
other youth saw the vision verified he made his con* 

* Cantiprat. 1. 3, c. 19, p. 18. 

58* 


690 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


fession, and was strengthened in his resolution of be- 
coming a religious. In view of that, he sold all that 
he had, but instead of giving the money to the poor, as 
he had intended, he expended it in debauchery. He 
afterwards fell ill, and had another vision ; he thought 
he saw hell opened and the divine Judge in the act of 
Condemning him. Again he had recourse to Mary, 
and Mary again delivered him. He was restored to 
health, and led a worse life than before. He went to 
Lima, in South America, where he fell ill, and in the 
hospital of that place was again touched by the grace 
of God. He confessed to Father Francis Perlino, a 
Jesuit, to whom he promised to change his life, but 
went back to his evil courses. At length the same 
Father, visiting one day another hospital in a distant 
place, saw that wretched man extended on the earth, 
and heard him exclaim : “ Ah, I am lost ; and for my 
greater torment this Father has come here to witness 
my punishment. I came here from Lima, and am 
brought to this jend by my vices, and now I am going 
to hell.” With these words on his lips he died, before 
the Father had time to give him any assistance.* 

15. — There was once in Germany a certain criminal 
condemned to death ; but he was obstinate and re- 
fused to make his confession, though a Jesuit father 
did his utmost to convert him. He entreated him, he 
wept, he cast himself at his feet ; but seeing that all 
was in vain, he finally said : “ Let us recite a ‘ Hail 
Mary.’ ” No sooner had the criminal recited it than 
* Bcvio esempio di. S. S. Yerg. to. 8, Es. 9. 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


691 


he began to cry bitterly, made his confession with 
much compunction, and wished to die clasping the 
image of Mary.* 

16. — In a city of Spain there lived a sinful man 
who had given himself to the devil, and had never 
been to confession. He did nothing good but say a 
“Hail Mary” every day. Father Eusebius Nierem- 
bergh relates, that when this man was at the point of 
death the most holy Virgin appeared to him in a 
dream and looked on him ; her kind eyes so changed 
him that he immediately sent for a confessor, made his 
confession with a voice broken by sobs, made a vow 
to become a religious if he should live, and then 
died.f 

17. — A devout servant of Mary always inculcated 
it upon her daughter that she should often recite the 
“ Hail Mary,” especially when she was in any danger. 
One day when this girl was resting after a ball, she 
was attacked by a demon, who in a visible form, bore 
her off with him. He had already seized her, but she 
began the “ Hail Mary,” and the enemy disappeared.^ 

18. — A woman of Cologne who had criminal inter- 
course with an ecclesiastic, found him one day hang- 
ing in her rooms dead. After this she entered into 
a monastery, where the devil assailed her in a bodily 
form, so that she knew not what to do in order to be 
delivered from him. A companion suggested to her 
to say the “ Hail Mary ;” and when she did so the 

* Ann. Marian. 1618. t Appr. Auriem. to. 1, c. 7. 

\ Bovio. to. 5, Es. 7. 


692 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


demon said : “ Accursed may she be who has taught 
thee this,” and. appeared no more.* 

19. — A certain baron who led a very sinful life was 
accidentally visited in his castle by a religious, who, 
enlightened by God, begged him to assemble together 
all his servants. They all came except the chamber- 
lain. He at last was forced to come in, and the Father 
said to him : “ Now, I command thee in the name of 
Jesus Christ to tell who you are.” And he answered : 
“lama devil from hell, who for fourteen years have 
served this villain, waiting until some day he should 
omit those seven ‘ Hail Marys’ which he is in the 
habit of reciting, that I might then strangle him and 
take him to the flames of hell.” The religious then 
commanded the devil to depart. He obeyed, and dis- 
appeared. The baron then threw himself at his feet, 
was converted, and led a holy life.f 

20. — The blessed Francis Patrizii, who greatly 
loved the devotion of the “ Hail Mary,” recited five 
hundred every day. Mary made known to him the 
hour of his death. He died as a saint ; and after forty 
years a most beautiful lily sprung from his mouth, which 
was then transported into France, and on the leaves 
of it was written the “ Hail Mary” in letters of gold.J 

21. — Cesarius relates that a Cistercian lay-brother 
could say no other prayer but the “ Hail Mary,” and 
recited it continually with the greatest devotion. After 

* Cesar. 1. 3, c. 33. 

+ Spec. Ex. B. num. 69, et Crass, to. 2, tr. 6, pr. I, 

X Bolland. 15, Maji. 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


693 


his death there sprung up from the place where he 
was buried a tree, on whose leaves were written these 
words : Hail Mary, full of grace : “ Ave Maria, gratia 
plena.”* 

22. — Three devout virgins, by the advice of their 
confessor, recited one year, for forty d£ys, the whole 
Rosary, as a preparation for the feast of the purification 
of Mary. On the vigil the divine mother appeared to 
the first of the three sisters with a rich garment, em- 
broidered with gold, thanked her, and blessed her. 
Then she appeared to the second with a simple gar- 
ment, and also thanked her. But she said to her : 
“Oh Lady, why have you brought my sister a richer 
garment?” “Because she has clothed me,” said 
Mary, “ more richly than you have done.” She after- 
wards appeared to the third with a canvas garment, 
and she at once asked pardon for her tepidity in hon- 
oring her. The next year all three fervently prepared 
for the same feast, saying the Rosary with great devo- 
tion, when behold, on the evening preceding the festi- 
val, Mary appeared to them in glory, and said to 
them : “ Be prepared, for to-morrow you shall come 
to paradise.” And, in fact, the next day they went 
to church, related to the confessor what had occurred, 
and received communion in the morning. At the 
hour of complin they saw again the most holy Virgin, 
who came to take them with her, and amid the songs 
of angels, one after the other sweetly expired. f 

* Ap. Crass, to. 2, tr. 6, p. 1. 

t Tesoro del Kosar. 1. 4, Mir. 17, Diotall. to. 1, A gg. Es. 7. 


694 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


23. — Father Crasset relates, that a certain military- 
officer told him, that after a battle he found a soldiei 
on the battle-ground who held in his hand a Rosary 
and the scapular of Mary, and asked for a confessor. 
His forehead had been pierced by a musket-ball, 
which had passed through the head and come out 
behind, so that the brain was visible and protruded 
through each opening, and he could not live without 
a miracle. He however raised himself, made his con- 
fession to the chaplain with great compunction, and 
after receiving absolution, expired.* 

24. — The same author adds, that this very captain 
told him of being present when a trumpeter of his 
company received a pistol-shot from some one near, 
and when he examined his breast where he said that 
hef had been hit, he found that the ball had been 
stopped by the scapular of the Virgin, which the man 
wore, and that it had not even touched the flesh. He 
took it and exhibited it to the whole company. j- 

25. — A noble youth, named Eschylus, being sent by 
the prince his father to Hildesheim, a city of Saxony, 
to study, abandoned himself to a dissolute life. He 
fell ill, and was near dying, and while in that state he 
had a vision. He saw himself shut up in a furnace of 
fire, and believed himself to be already in hell ; and 
then he escaped from it through a hole and took 
refuge in a great palace, where he found the most 
holy Mary in the hall, and she said to him : “ Rash 
man, dost thou dare to appear before me ? Depart 

* Crass. to. 2, tr. 6, pr. 14. t Crass, loc. cit. 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


695 


from here, and go to the flames which thou dost merit.” 
The young man besought the Virgin to have mercy 
on him, and then turned to some persons who were 
near, and implored them to recommend him to Mary. 
They did so, and the divine mother answered : “ You 
do not know the sinful life he has led, and that he 
has not even thought of saying a * Hail Mary’ in my 
honor.” But his advocates answered: “Oh Lady, 
he will change his life;” and the youth added: “Yes, 
I promise really to amend, and I will be thy servant.” 
Then the Virgin’s anger was appeased, and she said 
to him : “ Well, I accept thy promise, be faithful to 
me, and meanwhile, with my blessing, be delivered 
from hell and death.” When she had said this, thfc 
Virgin disappeared. Eschylus came to himself, and 
blessing Mary, related to others the grace he had re- 
ceived. He led ever after a holy life, always pre- 
serving a great affection towards the blessed Virgin, 
and was made Archbishop of the Church of Lude, 
in Denmark, where he converted many to the faith. 
Towards the close of his life, being old, he resigned 
the archbishopric and became a monk of Clairvaux, 
where he lived four years, and died a holy death. 
Hence he has been numbered by some writers among 
the saints of the Cistercian order . * 

26. — A member of the brothers of the confraternity 
of Mary was invited one morning by a friend to dine 
with him. He promised to go, but went first to the 
meeting of the confraternity, and after that he forgot 
* Ann . Cisterc. an. 1151, c. 5, et Bov. to. 5, Es. 6. 


696 


GLORIES OP MARY. 


liis promise. His friend was so much offended by 
this, that one day when he met him he attempted to 
kill him ; but, by a just judgment of God, he killed 
himself. His friend was immediately taken before the 
court, found guilty of the murder, and was condemned 
to death. He recommended himself to the Virgin, 
and, inspired by her, begged to be led into the pres- 
ence of the dead body, and then asked him how he 
had died. He confessed that he died by his own 
hands, and his friend was set at liberty.* 

27. — In the year 1604, at Dola,' a member of the 
same confraternity was very ill. On a feast-day he 
said to himself :“At this hour my brothers are assem- 
bled and occupied in praising Mary, and am I here”? 
He rose from his bed and went to the assembly, when 
suddenly the fever left him, and he was restored to 
health. f 

28. — A fisherman, belonging to the same confrater- 
nity in Naples, had been ill for several days through 
the severe discipline he had practised in. the meeting 
of the confraternity. Being somewhat better, as he was 
poor and had a family, he returned to his fishing, say- 
ing to the most holy Virgin :“Oh, my Lady, for thee 
I have suffered this evil, do thou help me” ; and our 
blessed Lady allowed him to take as many fish as he 
would have taken in all the time he had lost.J 

29. — Another member was going to be imprisoned 
for debt ; he recommended himself to Mary, and the 

* V. P. Aur. to. 2, ex. c. 4. t Auriem. to. 2, c. 6. 

X Aur. c. 5. 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


697 


most holy Virgin inspired his creditors to release him 
from his debt, and so they did.* 

30. — A young man who had been a member of the 
confraternity of the Virgin, left it, and abandoned 
himself to a dissolute life. One night the devil ap- 
peared to him in a frightful form. He began to in- 
voke the blessed Virgin. “ In vain,” said his enemy 
to him, “ do you invoke her whom you have aban- 
doned ; your sins have made thee mine.” The youth 
in terror fell on his knees, and began to recite the 
formula of the brothers : “ Oh most holy Virgin 
mother,” &c. Then the mother of God appeared to 
him, at whose presence the demon fled, leaving behind 
him a great stench, and an opening in the wall. And 
Mary then turned to the youth, and said : “ Thou didst 
not merit my help, but I wish to take pity on thee, that 
thou mayest change, and return to the confraternity.”! 

31. — In Braganza there lived another youth who left 
the confraternity and abandoned himself to such 
vicious courses, that one day in despair, he was going 
to throw himself into a river. But first he turned 
to our Lady and said: “Oh Mary, I have served 
thee in the confraternity, wilt thou help me ?” The 
most holy Virgin appeared to him and said : “ What 
art thou doing ? Dost thou wish to destrov both soul 
and body ? Go, make thy confession, and return to 
the confraternity.” The youth, encouraged by this, 
thanked the Virgin, and amended his life.J 

* Ann. Congr. an. 1598. 
f Lecnero. Sodal. Parth. 1. 3, c. 3. 

59 


X Ann. Soc. 1550. 


698 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


32. — There was once a religious in Spain, who in a 
fit of passion killed his superior. After committing 
this crime he fled into Barbary, where he renounced 
his faith and married, leading afterwards so bad a life 
that he did nothing good but say a “ Hail, oh Queen,” 
daily. One day, being alone, he repeated this devo- 
tion, and behold Mary appeared to him, rebuked him, 
and encouraged him to amend his life, promising him 
her assistance. He then returned to his house, and 
was so sorrowful that his wife questioned him as to 
the cause, and he in tears told her his condition, and 
the vision he had seen. She took compassion on him, 
gave him money to enable him to return to his own 
country, and also consented that he should take one 
of their children with him. He returned to the mon- 
astery, where he shed so many tears of compunction 
that he was again received, together with his son. 
He persevered in his holy life, and died with the repu- 
tation of a saint.* 

33. — A pupil had been instructed by his master to 
salute the most holy Virgin in these words : “ Hail, 
oh mother of mercy.” When he was at the point 
of death Mary appeared to him, and said : “ My son, 
do you not know me ? I am that mother of mercy 
whom you have saluted so many times.” Then this 
servant of the Virgin extended his arms as if to follow 
her, and gently breathed his last.f 

34. — There was once a sinner who was so abandoned, 
that he practised no other devotion than that of re- 

* Auriem. to. 2, c. 7. 


t Ibid. 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


699 


citing daily : To thy patronage : “ Sub tuum presidium.” 
The Virgin one day so greatly enlightened him, that 
he abandoned his sins, entered religion, led for fifty 
years an exemplary life, and thus died.* 

35. — In the year 1610, there lived in Turin an obsti- 
nate heretic, who even on his death- bed would not be 
converted by all that was said to him by the various 
priests who were with him for eight successive days. 
At length one of them, almost by force, brought him 
to have recourse to Mary, with these words : Mother 
of Jesus, help me: “ Mater Jesu, assiste mihi.” And 
the heretic, as if awakened from sleep, exclaimed, “ I 
will die a Catholic and indeed he became reconciled 
to the Church, and died in two hours.f 

36. — Another infidel, who was living in India, was 
about to die, abandoned by all, but as he had heard 
the Christians so much extol the power of Mary, he had 
recourse to her, and the blessed Virgin appeared to 
him, and said : “ Behold I am she whom you invoke ; 
become a Christian.” He was immediately restored 
to health, and baptized, and many were converted by 
the prodigy. J 

37. — There lived in Madrid, in the year 1610, a very 
devout servant of Mary, who had an especial devotion 
to an image of her called “ Mary of Antioch.” He 
married a woman, who through suspicion and jealousy, 
left him no rest. Every Saturday he went barefoot, 
and early in the morning, to visit that image ; but his 

* Ann. Marian. 19 Jul. t Barri. Par. ap. c. 2. 

% Patr. Menol. 18 Settembre. 


700 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


wife, wlio suspected him of going elsewhere, once in 
particular, attacked him so violently, that blinded by 
impatience, he took a rope and hung himself. But 
just as his soul was departing, when he could no more 
help himself, he invoked the help of Mary ; and be- 
hold a most beautiful lady appeared, who approached 
him and cut the rope. The people without saw this, 
and then he narrated the fact. By this the wife was so 
filled with compunction, that ever afterwards they lived 
in peace, and devoted to the divine mother.* 

38. — Another person, of Yalentia, in 1613, com- 
mitted a great crime, which he was ashamed to con- 
fess, and therefore made sacrilegious confessions. But, 
being troubled with great remorse of conscience, he 
went one day to visit the altar of Our Lady of Halle, 
that he might obtain relief. When he arrived at the 
door of the church, which stood open, he felt himself 
thrust back by an invisible power. Then he deter- 
mined to make his confession, and immediately entered. 
After making a general confession, he went home en- 
tirely consoled.f 

39. — The blessed Adam, a Cistercian, went one even- 
ing to visit an altar of the most blessed Virgin in a 
church ; but finding the doors closed, he knelt outside 
to make his devotions. He was hardly on his knees 
when he saw the door opening of itself, and he en- 
tered. There he beheld the Queen of Heaven, in the 
midst of great splendor, and she said to him : “ Adam, 

* Andrado del Battes. di. n. Don. e il. P. Rho. Sab. Es. 71. 

t An. Soc. ap. Auriem. to. 2, c. 1. 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


701 


approach ; do you know who I am ?” Adam an- 
swered : “ No, Lady ; who art thou '?” “ I am,” she 

said, “ the mother of God. Know, that as a reward 
for thy devotion to me, I will always take care of thee.” 
And then she placed her blessed hand upon his head, 
and cured him of the great pain he was suffering there. * 

40. — A servant of Mary went one day to visit a 
church of our blessed Lady, without the knowledge 
of her husband, and she was prevented by a severe 
storm from returning that night to her own house. 
She felt a great fear lest her husband should be very 
angry with her; but she recommended herself to 
Mary, and when she returned home, her husband was 
very kind and gracious to her. Upon questioning him, 
she found that the evening before, the divine mother 
had taken her form, and attended to all the little 
affairs of the household like a servant. She then re- 
lated the occurrence to her husband, and they both 
afterwards practised great devotion to the blessed 
Virgin.f 

4 1 . — A certain cavalier, of the city of Doul, in France, 
named Ansaldo, received in battle a wound from an 
aiTOw, which entered so deep into the jaw-bone, that 
it was not possible to extract the iron. After four 
years of suffering, the afflicted man could endure the 
pain no longer, and being besides very ill, he thought 
he would again try to Jiave the iron extracted. He 
recommended himself to the blessed Virgin, and made 
a vow to visit every year a sacred image of her which 

* Chronic. Cisterc. t Chron. Min. 104, 1. 5, c. 25. 

59* 


702 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


was in that place, and make an offering of a certain 
sum of money upon her altar, if she granted his re- 
quest. He had no sooner made the vow than the 
iron, without being touched, fell into his mouth. 
The next day, ill as he was, he went to visit the im- 
age, and scarcely had he placed the promised gift 
upon the altar, when he felt himself entirely restored 
to health.* 

42. — There was once a Spaniard who held sinful in- 
tercourse with a relative. A devout virgin, while she 
was at prayer, saw Jesus on his throne, who was on 
the point of sending that criminal to hell ; but his holy 
mother obtained thirty days’ grace for him, because 
he once had honored her. By the command of the 
divine mother herself, his female companion told the 
whole to her confessor, who made it known to the 
young man, and he at once made his confession, with 
many tears and promises of amendment. But because 
he did not remove the temptation from him, he fell 
again into sin, went again to confession, again made a 
resolution, and again relapsed. As he did not go to 
see the Father again, the Father went to his house to 
find him, but was very rudely dismissed. The last of 
the thirty days had arrived; the Father went to the 
house again, but in vain ; he desired the servant, how- 
ever, to give him notice if there was any accident ; and 
indeed at night that miserable sinner was attacked with 
violent pains. The Father was called, and endeavored 
to relieve him, but the unhappy man exclaimed : “ My 
* Chron. Dul. to. 1, del Labbeo. e il P. Rho. es. 27. 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


703 


heart has been pierced with a lance, and I am dying.” 
Then giving a groan of despair, he expired.* 

43. — There lived once in Milan a man named Masac- 
cio, so addicted to gambling, that one day he lost at 
play the very clothes he wore. In a violent rage at his 
loss, he took a knife and struck an image of the blessed 
Virgin, and blood burst forth from it into his face. He 
was so much moved that he hurst into tears, and 
offered thanks to the Virgin that she had obtained for 
him time for repentance. He afterwards entered a 
Cistercian monastery, and led such a holy life that he 
even received the gift of prophecy ; after being forty 
years a religious, he died a holy death.f 

44. — A very sinful man, once kneeling in tears at 

the foot of the cross, prayed that he might receive a 
sign of pardon. But when he found that his prayer 
was not granted, he turned to an image of the sorrow- 
ful Mary, who then appeared to him, and he saw her 
present his tears to her Son, saying : My Son, shall 
these tears be lost ? “ Fili, istae lacrymae peribunt ?” 

And then he was given to understand that Christ had 
already pardoned him, and from that time he led a 
holy life.J 

45. — A man of advanced age, during one of our 
missions, after the usual sermon on the powerful inter- 
cession of Mary, which it is our custom always to 
preach in the missions, came to make his confession 
to one of our Fathers, named D. Cesar Sportelli, who 

* P. Andrad. 1. 2. Imit. della. V. o. 23. 
t P. Rho. Sab. Es. 42. % P. Sinisc. Mart, di Mar. Cons. 38. 


704 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


lately died in the fame of sanctity, and was found 
uncorrupted many months after his death. Kneel- 
ing at the feet of his confessor, he said: “Father, 
our Lady has had pity on me.” “This is her 
office,” answered the Father. “But you cannot 
give me absolution,” said the other, “for I have 
never made my confession.” And, in fact, although 
he was a Catholic, *he had never made his confes- 
sion. The Father encouraged him, heard his con- 
fession, and gave him absolution with great consola- 
tion. 

46. — The blessed Bernard Tolomeo, founder of the 
Olivetan Fathers, who, from his childhood, had a great 
devotion to Mary, was one day greatly tormented in 
his hermitage at Accona, called Mt. Olivet, with the 
fear that he should not be saved, and that God had 
not yet pardoned him; but the divine mother ap- 
peared to him, and said : “ What do you fear, my son ? 
Take courage ; God has already pardoned you, and is 
pleased with the life you lead ; go on, and I will help 
and save you.” The blessed religious continued to 
lead a holy life till he died a happy death in the arms 
of Mary.* 

4 7. — There lived in Germany a young girl, called 
Agnes, who had been guilty of incest in the first 
degree. She fled into a desert, and there gave birth 
to a child. The devil, in the form of a religious, 
appeared to her, and persuaded her to throw the 
child into a pond. But afterwards, when he proposed 
* In Vita. B. Bern. Tolom. 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


705 


to her to throw herself in also, she said : “ Mary, help 
me,” and the devil disappeared/* 

48. — A soldier once made a compact with the devil, 
that he would sell his wife to him for a certain sum 
of money. He was taking her to a wood to fulfil his 
promise, when he passed before a church dedicated 
to the Virgin. His wife begged him to allow her to 
pay her devotion to Mary in that church ; but as she 
entered it, Mary came forth from it, and taking the 
form of the woman, accompanied the husband. When 
they reached the wood, the demon said to the man : 
“ Traitor, why have you brought me, instead of your 
wife, my enemy, the mother of God V “ And thou,” 
said Mary, “ how hast thou dared to think of injuring 
my servant ? Go, flee to hell.” And then turning 
to the man, she said : “ Amend your life, and I will 
aid you.” She disappeared, and that wretched man 
repented, and amended his life.f 

49. — A very sinful woman who lived in Messico, 
having fallen ill, repented of her life, and made a vow 
to Mary, that if she would restore her to health she 
would present her with her hair. She was cured, and 
she cut off her hair, making an offering of it to the 
statue of the Virgin. But the woman again fell into 
sin, again fell ill, and died impenitent. Then Mary 
one day afterwards spoke from that statue to Father 
Giammaria Salvaterra, and said : Take those locks 
from my head, for they belong to a lost and sinful 

* Spec. Ex. V. B. Maria, Ex. 10. 

+ Giac. di Vorag. in Eest. Ass. et Spec. Ex. 31. 


706 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


soul, and are not befitting the head of the mother of 
purity. The Father obeyed her, and threw them 
himself instantly into the flames.* 

50. — A Saracen, named Petran, made captive several 

Christians in Spain, who recommended themselves to 
the holy Virgin. Mary appeared to the Saracen, and 
said to him : “ Petran, how dare you to hold my ser- 
vants slaves ? Release them immediately — obey.” 
And the Moor answered : “ Who are you whom I am 
to obey ?” “ I am,” said she, “ the mother of God ; 

and because they have had recourse to me, I wish 
you to give them their liberty.” Then the heart of 
Petran was changed, he set the Christians free, and 
presented himself to the Virgin. She first instructed 
him, and then she herself baptized him in a fountain, 
near which a church was built, and a Benedictine 
monastery, f 

51. — A certain canon, while he was repeating some 
devotions in honor of the divine mother, fell into the 
river Seine and was drowned, and being in mortal sin, 
the devils came to take him to hell. But Mary ap- 
peared at the same time, and said to them : “ How 
have you dared to take possession of one who died 
praising me?” Then turning to the sinner, she said : 
Repent, and be particularly devout to my Conception. 
He was restored to life, became a religious, and never 
ceased to thank his deliverer, and everywhere to prop- 
agate the devotion to her immaculate Conception.]; 

* Patrign. Men. 8 lug. + Eus. Nier. Troph. Mar. 1. 2, c. 14. 

J Job. Clictov. in Serna. Cone. 


GLORIES OF MARY. 707 

52. — Whilst the monks of Clairvaux were reaping in 
the fields, and praising the queen of heaven, most 
holy Mary was seen caressing them, and two other 
saints wiping their sweat.* 

53. — The brother of the King of Hungary recited 
every day the office of Mary. Once when he was 
very ill, he made a vow of chastity to the Virgin, if 
she would restore him to health ; and he immediately 
recovered. But his brother having died, he was about 
to be married, and just as the nuptials were to be 
celebrated, he retired apart to recite his accustomed 
office. When he came to the words : Thou art fair 
and comely, &c. : “ Quam pulclira es et decora,” &c., 
he saw Mary, who said to him : “ If I am fair as 
you say, why do you leave me for another spouse ? 
Know, that if you leave her, you shall have me for 
a spouse, and the kingdom of heaven instead of the 
kingdom of Hungary.” After this the prince with- 
drew into a desert near Aquileia, where he lived a 
holy life.f 

54. — St. John Climacus relates, that there was a 
devout religious, named Carcerio, who was accustomed 
often to repeat little songs in praise of Mary, and 
always saluted her images with a “ Hail Mary.” He 
was once afflicted with so painful a malady, that in the 
paroxysms of his suffering he bit his lips and tongue. 
He lost his speech, and was at the point of death. 
Whilst the religious were recommending his soul to 

* Spec. Ex. verb. Laborare. Ex. 7. 
t S. Ans. in ep. ap. Auriem. to. 1, C. 8. 


708 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


God, the mother of God appeared to him, and said : 
“ I have come to cure thee, for I do not wish that 
mouth should suffer with which thou hast so often 
praised me. Arise, thou art healed, continue to praise 
me.” Having said this, she sprinkled him with some 
drops of her milk, and immediately he was cured, and 
never ceased to praise her, until, visited again by his 
Lady at his death, he sweetly expired in her arms.* 
55. — When St. F rancis Borgia was in Rome, an eccle- 
siastic came to speak with him ; but the saint being 
much occupied, sent Father Acosta to him. The 
ecclesiastic said to him : “ Father, I am a priest and 
a preacher, but I live in sin, and distrust the divine 
mercy. After preaching a sermon one day against 
the obstinate, who afterwards despair of pardon, a 
person came to me to make his confession, who nar- 
rated to me all my sins, and at length told me that he 
despaired of the divine mercy. In order to do my 
duty, I told him that he must change his life, and 
trust in God ; then that penitent rose to his feet and 
reproached me, saying : ‘ And you, who preach thus 
to others, why do you not amend, and why do 
you distrust ? Know,’ said he, ‘ that I am an angel 
come to your aid ; amend and you will be pardoned.’ 
And when he had said this he disappeared. I ab- 
stained for several days from my sinful practices, but 
when temptation came I again returned to my sins, 
On another day, as I was celebrating Mass, Jesus 
Christ sensibly spoke to me from the host, and said : 

* Prato. Pior. 1. 8, Es. 105. 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


709 


* Why dost thou thus maltreat me, when I treat thee 
so well ?’ After this I resolved to amend, but at the 
next temptation fell again into sin. A few hours ago, 
a youth came to me in my apartment, and drew from 
under his mantle a chalice, and from this a conse- 
crated host, saying : ‘Do you know this Lord whom 
I hold in my hand? Do you remember how many 
favors he has done you? Now behold the punish- 
ment of your ingratitude,’ and saying this he drew a 
sword to kill me. I then cried: ‘For the love of 
Mary do not kill me, for I will indeed amend.’ And 
then he said : ‘ This was the only thing that could 
save you : make a good use of this grace, for this is 
the last mercy for you.’ When he had said this he 
left me, and I came immediately here, praying you to 
receive me among you.” Father Acosta consoled 
him, and the priest, by the advice also of St. Francis, 
entered another order of strict observance, where he ' 
persevered in holiness till his death.* 

56. — In the year 1228, while a priest was celebrating 
Mass on a Saturday, in honor of the most holy Mary, 
some Albigensian heretics came and cruelly cut out 
his tongue. In this condition he went to the monas- 
tery of Cluny, where the good religious received 
him with much charity, greatly compassionating the 
suffering he endured from the loss of his tongue. But 
what caused the greatest suffering to this devout 
priest was, that he could no longer say Mass and re- 
cite the divine office, and that of the blessed Virgin, 

* Andr. nel suo Itin. Grad. 7. ap. Bov. to. 4, Esemp. 5. 

60 ' 


710 


glorip:s of mary. 


as lie liad been accustomed to do. The feast of 
Epiphany having arrived, he begged to be canned into 
the church, and before the altar of the holy Virgin 
prayed her to restore the tongue which he had lost 
through love of her, that he might sing her praises as 
he did before. Then Mary appeared to him with a 
tongue in her hand, and said to him : “ Since thou 
hast lost thy tongue for the faith, and for the honor 
thou hast paid me, I give thee in return a new one.” 
Having said this, with her own hands she placed the 
tongue in his mouth, and immediately the priest, 
raising his voice, recited the “ Hail Mary.” The re- 
ligious quickly assembled, and the priest wished to 
remain with them, and to become himself a religious, 
that there he might always praise his benefactress. 
The mark of the scar was always seen on his tongue.* 
5*7. — It was in 589 that the famous plague prevailed 
in Rome, when men were attacked with sneezing, and 
fell down dead. St. Gregory the Great, when he 
was carrying in procession through the city an image 
belonging to the church of St. Mary Major, in the 
place now called the Castle of St. Angelo, saw an 
angel in the air, who was replacing in its scabbard a 
sword dripping with blood. Then he heard the angels 
singing : Oh, Queen of heaven ! rejoice, Alleluia ; for 
he whom thou didst deserve to bear, Alleluia, is risen 
again, as he said, Alleluia : “ Regina coeli, Isetare, Al- 
leluia ; quia quern meruisti portare Alleluia ; resurrexit, 
sicut dixit, Alleluia.” And St. Gregory responded : 

* Csesarius. 1. 7, Dial. c. 24. 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


711 


“ Ora pro nobis Deum, Alleluia.” Immediately the 
plague ceased, and they then began to celebrate the 
greater Litanies every year on the 25th of April.* 

58. — A city of France, called Avignon, was once 
besieged by enemies. The citizens prayed to Mary to 
defend them, and placed an image of her, which they 
had taken from a church, at the gate of the city. 
One of the citizens having concealed himself behind 
the image, a soldier shot an arrow at him, saying : 
“ This image shall not save you from death.” But 
the image presented her knee, and the arrow remained 
fixed in it, and may be seen there even to this day ; 
and thus she saved the life of her servant. And the 
enemy, moved by this prodigy, raised the siege, f 

59. — There was in Naples a Moor, a slave of Don 
Octavius del Monaco, who, although he had often 
been exhorted to leave his Mahometan sect, remained 
obstinate, but } r et never failed every evening to keep 
lighted, at his own expense, a lamp before an image 
of Mary which was in the house. And he said : “I 
hope that this Lady will grant me some great favor.” 
One night the blessed Virgin appeared to him and 
told him he must become a Christian. Still the Turk 
resisted, but she placed her hand upon his shoulder, 
and said to him : “ Now no longer resist, Abel ; be 
baptized and called Joseph.” In the morning he im- 
mediately went to be instructed, and was baptized 
August 10th, 1648, with eleven other Turks. Let it 

* Sigon de Reb. It. up. Diotall. to. 2, in fin. Ex. 4. 

t Discep. Promt. Ex. 83. 


712 


GLORIES OF MART. 


be observed that when the divine mother appeared to 
him, after she had converted him, she was about to 
depart, but the Moor seized her mantle, saying : “ Oh 
Lady, when I find myself afflicted, I pray thee to let 
me see thee.” In fact she one day promised him this, 
and when he was in affliction he invoked her, and 
Mary appeared again to him, saying : “ Have pa- 
tience,” and he was consoled.* 

60. — A certain parish priest of Asella, named Bald- 
win, became a Dominican, and when he was in his 
novitiate there came to him the temptation that he 
could do greater good in the world in his parish, and 
he resolved to return. But going to take his leave of 
the altar of the Rosary, Mary appeared to him with 
two vessels of wine ; she gave him to drink of the 
first, but the novice had hardly tasted it, when he 
turned away his mouth, for although the wine was 
good, yet it was full of dregs; the second he pro- 
nounced good, and free from dregs : “ Now,” said the 
most holy Virgin, “ there is the same difference between 
the life in the world, and the life in religion, which is 
under obedience.” Baldwin persevered, and died a 
good religious, f 

61. — Another novice, also overcome by temptation, 
was about to leave his monastery, but stopping to say 
a “ Hail Mary” before an image of the Virgin, he felt 
himself nailed, as it were, to the floor, from which he 
could not rise. He repented, and made a vow of 

* P. Allozza. Ciel. Stell. di Mar. 1. 3, c. 5, Es. 60. 

f CJiron. Ord. ap. Aur. to. 2, c. 6. 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


713 


persevering. He then recovered his liberty, ashed 
pardon of the master of novices, and persevered.* 

62. — The blessed Clement, a Franciscan, one morn- 
ing delayed going to the common table, that he might 
stop and recite certain accustomed devotions to the 
most holy Virgin ; but she spoke from her image, and 
directed him to go with the others, because obedience 
pleased her more than all other devotions.f 

63. — Whilst Angela, a daughter of the King of Bo- 
hemia, was in a monastery, Mary appeared to her, 
and an angel said to her : “ Arise, Angela, and fly to 
Jerusalem, for thy father wishes to give thee in mar- 
riage to the prince of Hungary.’* The devout virgin 
immediately set out on her journey, and again the 
divine mother appeared to her and encouraged her to 
continue her journey. She was received in Jerusalem 
among the Carmelites, and afterwards was command- 
ed by the blessed Virgin herself to return to her own 
country, where she lived a holy life till her death. J 

64. — St. Gregory relates that there was a young 
woman named Musa, who had great devotion to the 
mother of God ; but being, through the evil example 
of her companions, in danger of losing her innocence, 
one day Mary appeared to her with many saints, and 
said to her : “ Musa, do you too wish to be one of 
these?” Musa answered, “Yes;” and Mary added : 
“ Withdraw from your companions, and prepare, for 
in one month from this you shall come with me.” 

* Aur. to. 2, c. 6. t Ann. Min. ap. Aur. to. 1, c. 4. 

\ P. Kho. Sab. della B. 1. Es. 75. 

CO* 


714 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


Musa retired from her companions, and related the 
vision. On the thirtieth day she was at the point of 
death, and the most holy Virgin again appeared to 
her and called her. She answered : “ Behold, Lady, 
I come,” and sweetly expired.* 

65. — Anna Caterina Gonzaga was married to Fer- 
dinand I., Archduke of Austria, but her husband 
dying, she entered the religious order of the Servites, 
and had a crown made, on the globes of which were 
carved the dolors of the Virgin. She said that for 
this crown she renounced all the other crowns of 
earth ; and, in fact, refused marriage with the Emperor 
Rodolph II. When she heard that her younger sister 
had been crowned empress, she said : “ Let my sister 
enjoy her imperial crown ; for these garments with 
which Mary my queen has clothed me, are to me a 
thousand-fold dearer.” The most holy Virgin appeared 
to her many times during her life, and at last this good 
religious died a holy death. f 

66. — A young clerical student playing one day at 
ball with other young men, and fearing he should lose 
a ring in his play which had been given him by a 
lady, he placed it on the finger of an image of Maiy 
which was near ; and he immediately felt impelled to 
make a promise to the Virgin to quit the world and 
choose her for his spouse. He made the promise, and 
Mary pressed his finger in token that she accepted it. 
But after some time he wished to marry another, and 
Mary appeared to him and reproached him for his in- 

* St. Greg. 1. 4, Dial. c. 17. t Jos. Mar. Barchius, in Vita. 


GL OKIES OF MARY. 


715 


fidelity ; wherefore he fled into a desert, and led to 
the last a holy life.* 

67. — About the year 850, Berengarius, Bishop of 
Verdun, in Lorraine, having entered a church where 
a certain priest named Bernerio was saying the office 
of Mary prostrate before the choir, stumbled against 
him, and in his vexation struck him with his foot. In 
the night the most holy Virgin appeared to him, and 
said : “ How is it that you struck with your foot my 
servant who was engaged in praising me ? Because I 
love you,” she added, “ you must pay the penalty.” 
Then his leg became withered, but he lived and died 
a saint ; and after many years his body, except that 
leg, remained uncorrupted.f 

08. — A young man who was left wealthy at the 
death of his parents, by play and dissipation with his 
friends, lost all that he had, but always preserved his 
chastity. An uncle, who found him reduced to such 
poverty by his vices, exhorted him to say every day 
a part of the Rosary, promising him that if he would 
persevere in this devotion he would procure for him a 
good marriage. The youth persevered, and having 
amended his life, he was married. On the evening of 
his nuptials he rose from the table to go and recite 
his Rosary, and when he had finished it, Mary appeared 
to him and said : “ Now I will reward thee for the 
honor thou hast paid me : I do not wish that thou 
shouldst lose thy chastity ; in three days thou shalt 

* Spec. Ex. verb. B. Virg. Ex. 8. 

f Chron. Verdun, ap. P. Kho. 


716 


GLORIES OF MART. 


die, and shalt come to me in paradise.” And this 
really happened, for immediately a fever attacked him. 
He related the vision, and on the third day died in 
perfect peace.* 

69. — The devout author of the book in honor of the 
most holy Rosary, entitled, “The Secret of every 
Grace,” relates that St. Vincent Ferrer once said to a 
man dying in despair : “ Why will you ruin yourself 
when Jesus Christ wishes to save you ?” And he 
answered, that in spite of Christ he would be damned. 
The saint replied : “ And you, in spite of yourself, 
shall be saved.” He began to recite the Rosary with 
the persons of the house, and behold, the sick man 
asked to make his confession, made it weeping, and 
then died. 

70. — The same author also relates that a poor woman, 
who was buried by an earthquake under the ruins of 
a house, was found alive and uninjured, with her chil- 
dren in her arms, by some persons who were employed 
by a priest to remove the stones. When she was 
asked what devotion she had practised, she said she 
had never failed to say the Rosary and visit a chapel 
of the most holy Mary. 

71. — He also relates that another woman who led a 
wicked life because she thought it the only means 
by which she could gain a livelihood, was counselled to 
recommend herself to Mary by saying the Rosary ; she 
did so, and behold one night the divine mother ap- 
peared and said to her : “ Quit your sinful life : as for 

* Cantip. 1. 2, c. 29, p. 6. 


GLORIES OF MART. 


717 


your support, trust in me, and I will think of that.” 
The next morning she went to confession, and Mary 
most holy provided for her wants. 

72. — A person of impure life who had not the cour- 
age to quit his sins, began to say the Rosary, and was 
delivered from his vices. 

73. — Another person who maintained a sinful friend- 
ship was seized with abhorrence of his sin by saying 
the Rosary. He yielded again to temptation, but by 
means of the Rosary finally freed himself from it. 

7 4. — A good priest who was attending a woman on 
her death-bed, who bitterly hated her husband, not 
knowing by what means to convert her, withdrew to 
say the Rosary, and at the last moment that woman 
saw her sinfulness, repented, and forgave her husband. 

75. — Finally, the same author relates, that once mak- 
ing a mission to the convicts in the galleys of Naples, 
he found some who obstinately refused to make their 
confession. He suggested to them that at least they 
should have themselves enrolled in the confraternity 
of the Rosary, and begin to recite it. They consented 
to do so, and they had no sooner recited one than they 
desired to make their* confession, and did so, the first 
time for many years. These modern examples serve 
to revive our confidence in Mary, seeing that she is at 
the present time the same that she always has been 
towards those who have recourse to her. 

76. — St. Gregory relates that a holy prelate, Bishop 
of Ferento, was from childhood devoted to relieving the 
poor. It happened one day that a certain priest, his 


718 GLOEIES OF MAEY. 

nephew, sold a horse for ten crowns of gold, and took 
the money and locked it up. The bishop not having 
any thing to give when some poor persons came to 
beg of him, broke open the chest and distributed the 
money to them. His nephew made such a disturbance 
when he discovered it, that the holy prelate, not know- 
ing what to do, went for help to a church dedicated 
to Mary. When behold, he saw ten crowns lying 
on the drapery of the statue ; he took them and gave 
them to his nephew.* 

77. — A Lutheran lady of Augsburg in Germany, 
who was a very obstinate heretic, happening to pass 
one day a small Catholic chapel, went in through curi- 
osity. She saw there an image of Mary with the in- 
fant Jesus in her arms, and felt moved to make an 
offering to it. She accordingly went home, took a 
silk cloth, and brought it to the altar of the Virgin. 
When she had returned home the most holy Virgin 
enlightened her to see the errors of her sect, and she 
went immediately to seek some Catholics, abjured her- 
esy, and was converted to God.f 

78. — In the city of Cesena there lived two very bad 
men who were friends. One of them, named Bar- 
tholomew, in the midst of all his vices practised the 
devotion of reciting every day the “ Stabat Mater’’ in 
honor of the sorrowful Mary. Once when he was 
repeating this hymn, Bartholomew had a vision, in 
which he seemed to stand with his sinful companion 

* S. Gregor. Dial. 1. 1, c. 9. 

t An. Soe. 1656, ap. Aur. to. 2, c. 6. 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


719 


in a lake of fire, and saw the most holy Virgin, moved 
to pity, offer her hand and take him from the flames. 
She directed him to seek pardon from Jesus Christ, who 
showed himself willing to pardon him through the 
prayers of his mother. The vision ended, and Bar- 
tholomew at the same moment heard the intelligence 
that his friend had been mortally wounded and was 
dead. Then he knew the truth of the vision, and quit- 
ting the world, entered the order of Capuchins, where 
he led a most austere life, and died in the fame of 
sanctity.* 

79 . — The blessed Jerome, founder of the Sommas- 
chian Fathers, being governor of a certain place, was 
taken by the enemy, and confined in the dungeon of a 
tower. He recommended himself to Mary, and made 
a vow to make a pilgrimage to Treviso in her honor, 
if she would rescue him. Then the most holy Virgin 
appeared to him surrounded by a great light, and with 
her own hands loosed his chains, and gave him the 
keys of the prison. He fled from the prison, and, 
setting out for Treviso to fulfil his vow, he found him- 
self immediately surrounded by the enemy. Again 
he had recourse to his deliverer, and she again ap- 
peared to him, took him by the hand, and led him 
safely through the midst of his enemies, accompany- 
ing him even to the gates of Treviso, where she dis- 
appeared. He made the visit, deposited his chains at 
the foot of the altar of Mary, and then devoted him- 
self to a holy life, by which he has merited recently 
* P. Sinisc. Mart, di Mar. Cons. 15. 


720 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


to be ranked by the holy Church among the number 
of the blessed.* 

80. — A priest who had a special devotion to the sor- 

rows of Mary, often remained alone in a chapel to com- 
miserate the dolors of his Lady, and, moved by compas- 
sion, was accustomed with a little cloth to wipe, as it 
were, the tears of a statue of the sorrowful Virgin which 
was in that place. Now this good priest, in a severe ill- 
ness, when he was given up by his physicians, and was 
going to breathe his last, saw a beautiful lady by his side, 
who consoled him with her words, and with a hand- 
kerchief gently wiped the sweat from his brow, and 
with this cured him. When he found himself well, 
he said : “ But, my Lady, who art thou who dost prac- 
tise such charity towards me ?” “ I am she,” an- 

swered Mary, “ whose tears thou hast so often dried,” 
and she disappeared.! 

81. — A noble lady, who had an only son, was in- 
formed one day that he was killed, and that his mur- 
derer had by chance taken refuge in her own palace ; 
but when she called to mind that Mary pardoned the 
executioners of her Son, she wished also to pardon that 
criminal for love of the sorrowful Mary ; and not only 
did she pardon him, but provided him with a horse, 
money, and clothes, that he might make his escape. 
Then her son appeared to her, and told her that he 
was saved, and that for her generous act done towards 
his enemy, the divine mother had delivered him from 
purgatory, where he should otherwise have had to 

* In Vita. t Cantiprat. 1. Apum. ap. Sin. Cons. 9. 


GLORIES OF MART. 721 

suffer for a long time, but that he was then already- 
entering paradise.* 

82. — The blessed Bionda performed a similar heroic 
act. Some enemies also killed her only son, though he 
was innocent, solely by reason of the hatred they bore 
to his father, who was dead ; and with unheard-of cru- 
elty gave the heart of the murdered youth to his 
mother to eat. Now she, according to the example 
of the most holy Mary, began to pray for her mur- 
derers, and to do them all the good she could. These 
acts so pleased the divine mother, that she called her 
to join the third order of the Servites, where she mer- 
ited to lead so holy a life, that both before and after 
her death many, miracles were wrought through her.j- 

83. — St. Thomas of Canterbury, when he was a 
young man, found himself one day in conversation with 
several other youths, each of whom boasted of some: 
foolish love affair. The holy youth declared that he r 
too, loved a great lady, and was beloved by her,, 
meaning the most holy Virgin. Afterwards, he felt 
some remorse at having made this boast ; but behold,. 
Mary appeared to him in his trouble, and with a gra- 
cious sweetness said to him : “ Thomas, what do you 
fear ? You had reason to say that you loved me, and 
that you are beloved by me. Assure your companions 
of this, and as a pledge of the love I bear you, show 
them this gift that I make you.” The gift was a small 
box, containing a chasuble, of a blood-red color, as a 

* P. Tausc. de SS. Mar. del. 1. 2, c. 26. 
t Ann. Ord. Serv. Cen. 2, 1. 4, c. 13. 

61 


722 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


sign that Mary, for the love she bore him, had obtained 
for him the grace to be a priest and a martyr, which 
indeed happened, for he was first made priest and af- 
terwards Bishop of Canterbury, in England; where he 
was at one time persecuted by the king, and fled to 
the Cistercian monastery, at Pontignac, in France. 
While he was there, wishing one day to mend his hair- 
cloth shirt that he usually wore, which was ripped, 
and not being able to do it well, his beloved queen 
appeared to him, and, with especial kindness, took the 
hair-cloth from his hand, and repaired it as it should 
be done. After this he returned to Canterbury, and 
died a martyr, having been put to death on account of 
his zeal for the Church.* 

84. — A young woman in the Papal States, who was 
very devout towards Mary, met in a certain place a 
chief of banditti. Fearing some outrage, she implored 
him, for love of the most holy Virgin, not to molest 
her. “ Do not fear,” he answered, “ for you have 
prayed me in the name of the mother of God ; and I 
only ask you to recommend me to her.” And, in fact, 
he accompanied her himself along the road to a place 
of safety. The following night Mary appeared in a 
dream to the bandit, and thanking him for the act he 
had performed for love of her, told him she would re- 
member it, and would one day reward him. The rob- 
ber, at length, was arrested, and condemned to death ; 
but behold, the night previous to his execution, the 
blessed Virgin visited him again in a dream, and first 
* In Yita et ap. Bov. to. 4, Ex. 36. 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


723 


asked him : “ Do you know who I am ?” He an- 
swered, “ It seems to me I have seen you before.” 
“ I am the Virgin Mary,” she continued, “ who have 
come to reward you for what you have done for me. 
You will die to-morrow, but you will die with so much 
contrition that you will come at once to paradise.” 
The convict awoke, and felt such contrition for his 
sins that he began to weep bitterly, all the while giving 
thanks aloud to our blessed Lady. He sent immediately 
for a confessor, to whom he made his confession with 
many tears, relating the vision he had seen, and begged 
him to make public this grace that had been bestowed 
on him by Mary. He went joyfully to execution, 
after which, as it is related, his countenance was so 
peaceful and happy that all who saw him believed that 
the promise of the divine mother was fulfilled.* 

85. — The blessed Joachim Piccolomini, who had a 
very great devotion to Mary, even from childhood, 
used to visit three times a day an image of the sor- 
rowful mother, which was in a neighboring church, 
and abstained from all food on Saturday in her honor. 
Moreover, he rose at midnight to meditate upon her 
dolors. But let us see how Mary rewarded him. At 
first she appeared to him when he was young, and 
directed him to enter into religion in the order of her 
Servants, which he did. Towards the close of his 
life, she again appeared to him, with two crowns 
in her hand : one of rubies, as the reward of the com- 
passion he had cherished for her sorrows ; and the 
* P. Recup. de Sign. Fruct. Sign. 12. 


724 


GL OKIES OF MARY. 


other of pearls, as the reward of his chastity which 
he had consecrated to her. Finally, at death she ap- 
peared to him again, when he asked of her the favor 
to die on the day on which Jesus Christ died, and the 
most holy Virgin consoled him by telling him : “ Make 
ready now, for to-morrow (Friday) you will die sud- 
denly, as you desire, and to-morrow you shall be with 
me in paradise.” And thus it happened, for while 
they were chanting in the church the passion accord- 
ing to St. John, at the words : There stood near 
the cross of Jesus his mother : “ Stabat juxta cru- 
cem Jesu mater ejus,” he was attacked with the faint- 
ness of death ; and at the words : And bowing his 
head he gave up the ghost : “ Et inclinato capite tradidit 
spiritum,” this blessed one also gave up his spirit to 
God ; and at the same moment the church was filled 
with a great splendor, and a most sweet fragrance.'* 

86. — Father Alphonso Salmerone, of the Society of 
Jesus, being a most devout servant of the blessed 
Virgin, died saying : “ To paradise, to paradise ; blessed 
be the hour that I have served Mary ! Blessed the' 
sermons, the toils, the thoughts that I have had for 
thee, oh my Lady ! To paradise.”f 

87 . — A youth named Guido, who wished to join the 
order of Camaldoli, was presented to St. Romuald by 
the prince, his father, whose name was Farnulf. The 
holy founder received him with pleasure. One day 
Mary appeared to this good youth, her servant, with 
the infant Jesus in her arms. Esteeming himself un- 

* Rossign. Pieta Osseg. f In Vita. 


GLOEIES OF MAEY. 


725 


worthy of such a favor, he stood trembling, but the 
divine mother drawing near to him, said : “ Why do 
you doubt ? What do you fear, Guido ? I am the 
mother of God; this is my son Jesus, who wishes to 
come to you and saying this, she placed him in her 
arms. Guido had not yet been three years in religion 
when he fell dangerously ill. St. Romuald saw the 
poor youth writhing and trembling, and heard him 
saying : “ Oh Father, do you see all the Moors in this 
cell ?” “ My son,” said the saint to him, “ do you 

remember any thing you have not confessed ?” “Yes, 
Father,” he answered, “ I remember having disobeyed 
the prior, by not picking up certain brooms, and now 
I confess it.” St. Romuald absolved him, and then 
the scene changed ; the devils fled, and the Virgin 
again appeared, with J esus, at the sight of whom 
Guido died in perfect peace.* 

88. — A Cistercian nun in Toledo, called Mary, being 
at the point of death, the divine mother appeared to 
her, and Mary said to her : “Oh Lady, the favor you 
do me of visiting me, emboldens me to ask you an- 
other favor, namely, that I may die at the same hour 
that you died and entered into heaven.” “ Yes,” 
answered Mary. “I will satisfy you; you shall die 
at that hour, and you shall hear the songs and praises 
with which the blessed accompanied my entrance into- 
heaven ; and now prepare.” When she had said this 
she disappeared. The religious who heard the nun 
talking to herself, believed her wandering in mind, but 

* Franc. Lelli in Vita. 

Gl* 


726 


GLORIES OF MART. 


she related to them the vision and the promised grace, 
and awaited the desired hour; and when she knew it 
had arrived, by the striking of the clock (the writer 
does not tell us what hour it was), she said : “ Behold, 
the predicted hour has come ; I hear the music of the 
angels ; at this hour my queen ascended to heaven ; 
rest in peace, for I am going now to see her and say- 
ing this she expired, while her eyes became bright as 
two stars, and her face glowed with a beautiful color.* 
89. — In the city of Sens, in France, there lived, 
towards the eighth century, St. Opportuna, the daugh- 
ter of a prince of royal blood. This holy virgin, who 
had a great devotion to Mary, became a religious in a 
neighboring monastery, and being at the point of 
death, she saw St. Cecilia and St. Lucia standing be- 
side her in the dawn of the morning. “ My sisters, 
be welcome,” she said to them ; “ what message do 
you bring me from my queen ?” And they answered : 
“ She is waiting for thee in paradise.” After this the 
devil appeared to her, and the saint boldly sent him 
away, saying : “ Brute beast, what hast thou to do 
with me who am the servant of Jesus ?” The hour of 
her death, which she herself had predicted, having 
arrived, after receiving the holy viaticum, she turned 
towards the door, and said : “ Behold the mother of 
God who comes to take me. Sisters, I commend you 
to her. Adieu, we shall see each other no more.” 
Thus saying, she raised her arms, as if to embrace 
her Lady, and gently expired. f 
* Menol. Cist, ai Santi d’Agosto. t Surius die 22, Aprilis. 




NOVENA OF MEDITATIONS 


FOR THE NINE DAYS PRECEDING THE FEAST OF THE PURIFICATION 
OF MARY, WHICH COMMENCES ON THE 24tII OF JANUARY. 


The above-mentioned meditations are upon the Litany of Loretto, and 
can be used for all the Novenas preceding the principal festivals of the 
Divine Mother. 


FIRST DAY. 

1st. “ Sancta Maria, ora pro nobis Holy Mary, 
pray for us. Since in the Litanies of our Lady the 
Church instructs us to repeat so many times the peti- 
tion that she will pray for us, “ Ora pro nobis,” it is 
well before meditating upon the titles by which 
the holy Virgin is invoked, to consider of how great 
value with God are the prayers of Mary. Blessed is 
that person for whom Mary prays ! J esus is pleased 
when his most beloved mother prays to him, and 
grants all she asks. One day St. Bridget heard Jesus 
speaking with Mary, and thus saying to her : “ My 
mother, ask what thou wilt of me, for thy petition 
cannot be in vain.”* And then he added : “ Thou 
didst deny me nothing on earth, I will deny thee 

* Mater pete quod vis a me ; non enim potest esse inanis pe- 
titio tua. Tu nihil mihi negasti in terris ; ego nihil tibi negabo 
in coelis.' 


728 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


nothing in heaven.” St. Bernard says : To be heard 
by the Son is to be graciously heard : “ A Filio audi- 
ri est exaudiri.” It is enough that Mary speaks, her 
Son grants whatever she asks. Therefore let us al- 
ways pray to this divine mother if we wish to obtain 
eternal salvation, and let us say with St. Andrew of 
Candia, or perhaps of Jerusalem : We, then, suppli- 
cate thee, oh most holy Virgin, to grant us the aid of 
thy prayers with God ; prayers that are more precious 
than all the treasures of the earth ; prayers that obtain 
for us a great abundance of graces ; prayers that con- 
found our enemies, and triumph over their forces. 

2d. “ Sancta Maria Holy Mary. The name of 
Mary is a name of salvation. This name came not 
from earth, but from heaven ; and therefore St. 
Epiphanius says, that it was not given to Mary by her 
parents, but was bestowed upon her by the express 
will of God. Hence it is that after the name of Jesus, 
the name of Mary is superior to every name, for God 
has filled it with grace and sweetness in order that 
through it every blessing may be obtained by him who 
names it. St. Bernard said : Oh Mary, thy name 
cannot be pronounced without inflaming the heart of 
him who utters it with love to thee. And the blessed 
Henry Suso exclaimed : Oh Mary, what must thou 
thyself be if thy name is so amiable and gracious ! 
Name full of blessings. St. Bonaventure said that 
the name of Mary cannot be invoked without profit to 
him who invokes it. But more than all, this name has 
the power to overcome the temptations of hell. Ah, 


GLORIES OF MART. 


729 


my Lady, if I had always invoked thee in my tempta- 
tions, I should never have fallen. For the future I 
shall never cease to invoke thee, saying : “ Mary, help 
me ; Mary, succor me.” And do thou obtain for me 
the grace always to invoke thee in the perils of my soul. 

3d. “ Sancta Dei genitrix :” Holy mother of God. 
If the prayers of the saints avail much with God, how 
much more will the prayers of Mary avail ! The for- 
mer are the prayers of servants, but the latter are the 
prayers of a mother. St. Antoninus says that the 
prayer of Mary has the force of a command with 
Jesus Christ: “ Oratio Yirginis h^et rationem impe- 
rii and hence he adds, that it is impossible for this 
mother to ask a favor of the Son that the Son will not 
grant her : “ Impossibile est Deiparam non exaudiri.” 
Therefore St. Bernard exhorts us to ask through Mary 
for every grace that we wish from God : “ Quae ramus 
gratiam, et per Mariam quaeramus ;” for she is the 
mother, and is always graciously heard : “ Quia mater 
est, et frustrari non potest.” Oh great mother of 
God, pray to Jesus for me. Look upon the miseries 
of my soul, and have pity on me. Pray, and never 
cease to pray for me until thou seest me safe in para- 
dise. Oh Mary, thou art my hope ; do not abandon 
me. Holy mother of God, pray for us : “ Sancta Dei 
genitrix, ora pro nobis.” 

SECOND DAY. 

1st. “ Mater divinae gratiae :” Mother of divine 
grace. Mary is called by St. Anselm : Mother of all 


730 


GLORIES OF MART. 


graces : “ Mater omnium gratiarum.” And by the 
Idiot : Treasurer of divine grace : “ Thesauraria gra- 
tiarum.” Hence St. Bernardine of Sienna writes : All 
the graces which we receive from God are dispensed 
by the hand of Mary, and are dispensed to whom 
Mary will, when she will, and as she will.* This she 
herself says : “ With me are riches and glory . . \ . 
that I may enrich them that love me.”f The Lord 
has placed in my hand all the riches of his graces, 
that I may enrich those who love me. Then, oh my 
queen, if I love thee, I shall be no longer poor as I 
am now. After my God, I love thee above all things ; 
do thou obtain for me greater tenderness and love for 
thy goodness. St. Bonaventure tells me that every 
one will be saved if thou wilt have him saved : “ Quern 
ipsa vis salvus erit.” And therefore will I say to thee 
with the same saint : Oh salvation of those who in- 
voke thee, save me : “0 salus te invocantium, salva 
me.” Save me from hell, and first save me from sin, 
which alone can bring me to hell. 

2d. “ Mater purissima Mother most pure. This 
fair and pure virgin mother renders all her servants 
chaste and pure. St. Ambrose writes that even when 
Mary was on the earth, by her presence she inspired 
with the love of purity all those who looked upon her.J 


* Omnia dona ct gratise quibus vult, quando vult, et quomodo 
vult per ipsius manus dispensantur. 

t Mecum sunt, divitiae ut ditem diligentes me. Prov. viii. 18, 21. 
X Tanta erat Mari® gratia, ut si quis inviseret, integritatis in- 
signe donum conferret. 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


731 


She was called the lily among thorns : “ Sicut lilhim 
inter spinas sic arnica mea inter Alias.”* All other 
virgins, says St. Denis the Carthusian, are thorns either 
to themselves or to others : but the blessed Virgin 
was neither a thorn to herself nor to others, for she 
inspired with pure and holy affections all those who 
beheld her. Moreover, Frigenius, author of the life of 
St. Thomas Aquinas, writes, that this saint said that 
even the image of this chaste turtle-dove extinguishes 

o o 

the sensual emotions of him who looks upon it with 
devotion. And the venerable John of Avila relates 
that many persons, who were suffering from tempta- 
tions against purity, were preserved pure through the 
devotion to our Lady. Oh, how especially powerful 
is the name of Mary in conquering all temptations to 
this vice ! Oh Mary, most pure, free me from this 
vice ; make me always to have recourse to thee in 
temptations, and invoke thee so long as the temptation 
continues. 

3d. “ Mater inviolata Mother inviolate. Mary 
was that immaculate woman who appeared in the eyes 
of God all pure and spotless : “ Tota pulchra es, arni- 
ca mea, et macula non est in te.”f Wherefore she 
was called the reconciler of sinners, as St. Ephrem sa- 
lutes her : “ Hail, conciliatrix of the world : “ Ave 
conciliatrix orbis.” And as she herself said in the 
Canticles : “ Since I am become in his presence as 
one finding peace.”! St. Gregory says that if a rebel 

* Cant. ii. 2. t Cant. iv. 7. 

X Ex quo facta sum coram eo quasi paccm reperiens. 


732 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


should appear before the offended king to appease 
him, it would only provoke him the more to anger. 
But Mary being destined to treat of peace between 
God and men, it was not fitting that she should ap- 
pear as a partaker in the crime of Adam, and there- 
fore the Lord preserved Mary from every stain of sin. 
Ah, my immaculate queen ; oh spotless dove, so dear 
to God ; ah, do not disdain to look upon the many 
stains and wounds of my soul ; look on me and help 
me. That God who loves thee so much, denies thee 
nothing, neither dost thou know how to deny thyself 
to him who invokes thee. Oh Mary, to thee I have 
recourse ; have pity on me. Mother inviolate, pray 
for us : “ Mater inviolata, ora pro nobis.” 

THIRD DAY. 

1st. “ Mater amabilis Amiable mother. Richard 
of St. Lawrence says that the blessed Virgin was 
amiable in the eyes of God himself : “ Fuit beata Vir- 
go amabilis oculis ipsius Dei.” Mary was so beauti- 
ful in the eyes of God, that God was enamored of her 
beauty. How beautiful art thou, my love ! how beau- 
tiful art thou ! “ Quam pulchra es, arnica mea, quam 
pulchra es.”* Hence he called her his only dove, his 
only perfect one : One is my dove ; my perfect one is but 
one : “ Una est columba mea, una est perfecta mea.”f 
It is certain, as Father Suarez says, that God loves 
Mary more than all the other saints together, and 
justly, for she alone loved God more than all men and 
* Cant. iv. 1. + Cant. vi. 8. 


GLOKIES OF MARY. 


733 


all the angels. Oh Mary, most pure ; oh Maiy, 
most lovely, thou didst gain the heart of God ; take 
possession of my poor heart also, and make me holy. 
I love thee, and I confide in thee. Amiable mother, 
pray for us : “ Mater amabilis, ora pro nobis.” 

2d. “ Mater Salvatoris Mother of the Saviour. 
St. Bonaventure calls Mary the mediatrix of our sal- 
vation : “ Maria mediatrix nostrse salutis and St. 
John Damascene : The deliverer of the world : “ Sal- 
vatrix mundi suo modo.” For two reasons, Mary may 
be called the deliverer of the world and our mediatrix ; 
that is, mediatrix of grace, as Jesus Christ is the me- 
diator of justice. First, by the consent she gave to the 
incarnation of the Word ; for by such a consent, says 
St. Bernardlne, she procured for us salvation: “Per 
hunc consensum omnium salutem procuravit.” Sec- 
ondly, by the consent which Mary gave to the death 
of her Son, being willing that for our salvation, he 
should be sacrificed on the cross. I will say to thee 
then, oh mother of my Saviour, thou who once didst 
offer to God the life of thy Son, save me now by thy 
intercession. 

3d. “Virgo veneranda:” Virgin most venerable. 
St. Anselm declares, that when we say of Mary that 
she is mother of God, we say that she surpasses in 
greatness, after God, every thing that can be conceived 
or expressed ; whence he says to her : Oh Lady, no- 
thing is equal to thee ; for every thing is either above 
thee, and that is God ; or it is beneath thee, and that 
is every thing that is not God. In a word, St. Ber- 
62 


734 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


nardine says that God alone can know the greatness 
of Mary ;* and the blessed Albertus Magnus affirms 
that Mary could not be more united to God except 
by becoming God : “ Magis Deo conjungi non potuit, 
nisi fieret Deus.” Truly worthy then of our venera- 
tion is this great mother of God, for God himself could 
not make her greater than he has done, by making her 
his mother. Oh, mother of God, and my mother, 
Mary, I adore thee, and would wish thee to be adored 
by all hearts, as that exalted Lady thou art. Have 
mercy on a poor sinner, who loves thee and trusts in 
thee. Virgin most venerable, pray for us : “ Virgo 
veneranda, ora pro nobis.” 

FOURTH DAY. 0 

1st. “ Virgo prsedicanda Virgin to be praised. The 
holy Church sings that this divine mother is worthy 
of all praise: “Omni laude dignissima for accord- 
ing to St. Ildephonsus, all praise that is given to the 
blessed Virgin is an honor paid to her Son : “ Refun- 
ditur in filium quod impenditur matri.” With reason, 
then, did St. George of Nicomedia declare that the 
praises given to Mary God accepts, as if offered to 
himself.f The holy Virgin promises paradise to him 
who endeavors to make her known and loved.J Rich- 

* Tanta est perfectio Virginis, ut soli Deo cognoscenda re- 
servetur. 

f Tuatn enirn gloriam Creator existimat esse propriam. 

\ Qui elucidant me vitam seternam habebunt. Offic. in Concep. 
B. Virg. 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


735 


ard of St. Lawrence says that Mary will honor in 
eternity those who honor her in this life.* St. Anselm 
says, that as Mary, by being mother of God, was the 
means of saving sinners, so sinners receive salvation by 
proclaiming the praises of Mary. Not all can be 
preachers ; but all can praise her, and tell others, when 
speaking familiarly with relatives and friends, of the 
merits of Mary, of her power and her mercy, and thus 
induce them to become servants of this divine mother. 
Oh queen of heaven, from this day I wish to do all 
that I can to make thee venerated and loved by all. 
Accept this my desire, and help me to fulfil it ; in the 
mean time admit me among the number of thy ser- 
vants, and no longer permit me to be a slave of Lucifer. 

2d. “Virgo potens Virgin most powerful. And 
who among the saints is so powerful with God as his 
most holy mother ? She obtains whatever she wishes, as 
St. Bernard has said : It is enough that thou dost wish, 
and all things are done: “Velistu et omnia fient.” 
St. Peter Damian even says that when Mary asks 
graces from God she does not pray, but in a certain 
manner commands.f Thus the Son honors this mo- 
ther whom he loves so much, by granting her what- 
ever she asks, even favors for sinners. Hence St. 
Germanus says : Thou art the mother of God, omnip- 
otent to save sinners, and thou hast no need of any 
other recommendation with God, for thou art the mo- 

* Ilonorantes earn in hoc sreculo, honorabit in futuro. 

t Accedis non rogans, sed imperans ; nain filius nihil negans, 
honorat. 


736 GLORIES OF MART. 

ther of true life. Oh, Mary thou canst make me 
holy ; in thee I trust. 

3d. “Virgo clemens:” Most clement Virgin. As 
Mary is powerful with God, so is she clement and 
merciful towards those who have recourse to her in- 
tercession. Neither the power nor the will is wanting 
to her, as St. Bernard says: “Nec facultas, nec vo- 
luntas illi deesse potest.” The power to save us can- 
not be wanting to Mary, for she is mother of God ; 
neither can the will be wanting to aid us, for she is our 
mother. And who has ever had recourse to Mary 
and been abandoned ? Let him cease to praise thy 
mercy, says again St. Bernard, who remembers hav- 
ing ever invoked thee without being heard.* St. Bo- 
naventure asserts that the desire of Mary to be in- 
voked by us, in order that she may dispense to us her 
favors more abundantly, is so great, that she not only 
considers herself offended by those who injure her, but 
also by those who do not ask favors of her.f Thus 
it is not needful to pray long to this mother of mercy, 
in order to obtain her aid ; it is enough to ask it of 
her with confidence. Her clemency comes to our aid 
before we invoke it, as Richard of St. Victor says : 
“ Velocius occurrit ejus pietas, quam invocetur;” and 
he gives us the reason, saying : She cannot see our mise- 
ries, and not be moved by them : “Non potest mi- 

* Sileat misericordiam tuam, si quis te invoeatam meminerit 
defuisse. 

f In te, Domina, peccant non solum qui tibi injuriam irro- 
gant, sed etiam qui te nonrogant. 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


737 


serias scire, et non sub venire.” Behold, then, oh 
Mary, behold my miseries, and succor me : “ Virgo 
clemens, ora pro nobis.” 

FIFTH DAY. 

1st. “ Virgo fidelis :” Virgin most faithful. Bless- 
ed is he who, with his prayers, watches at the gates 
of Mary, as the poor wait at the gates of the rich to 
obtain relief ! “ Blessed is the man,” as she herself 

says, “ that heareth me, and that watcheth daily at 
my gates !”* Oh, that we were faithful in serving 
this divine mother, as she is faithful in succoring us 
when we pray to her ! Mary promises to those who 
serve and honor her, that they shall be freed from 
sins, and shall obtain eternal salvation. “ They that 
work by me shall not sin . . . They that explain me 
shall have life everlasting.”! She invites all to come 
to her, and promises them every grace that they 
hope for. “ In me is all grace of the way and of the 
truth ; in me is all hope of life and of virtue . . . come 
over to me all.”}; St. Lawrence Justinian applies to 
Mary that other text of Ecclesiasticus : Her bands are 
a healthful binding: “Vincula illius alligatura salu- 
taris;”§ and then adds: “Wherefore bands? unless 

* Beatus homo qui audit me et vigilat ad fores meas quo- 
tidie. Prov. viii. 34. 

f Qui operantur in me non peccabunt, .... qui elucidat me 
vitam aeternam habebunt. Eccli. xxiv. 30, 31. 

X In me gratia omnis via? et veritatis ; in me omnis spes vitae 
et virtutis . . . transite ad me omnes. Eccli. xxiv. 25, 26. 

§ vi. 81. 

62 * 


738 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


to bind her servants, that they may not go astray into 
unlawful fields. ”* Mary binds her servants that they 
may not take too much liberty, and thus cause 
their own ruin. Oh mother of God, in thee I place 
all my hopes : thou must save me from falling again 
into sin. Oh my Lady, do not abandon me ; obtain 
for me the grace to die rather than to lose the grace 
of God. 

2d. “ Causa nostrse latitiae Cause of our joy. 
As after the darkness and gloom of night, the dawn 
is the cause of joy, thus after the darkness of sin, 
which for four thousand years before the coming of 
Jesus Christ had prevailed on earth, the birth of Mary, 
our Aurora, brought joy to the world. When Mary 
was born, the morning rose, says a holy Father : “ Nata 
Maria, surrexit Aurora.’’ The dawn is the precursor of 
the sun, and Mary was the precursor of the incarnate 
Word, the Sun of Justice and our Redeemer, who 
by his death, freed us from eternal death. With 
reason does the Church sing of the nativity of Mary : 
“ Thy birth, oh holy mother of God, announced joy 
to the whole world.”f And as Mary was the begin- 
ning of our joy, so is she also the completion of it ; 
for St. Bernard says that Jesus Christ has placed the 
whole treasure of his merits in the hands of his mother, 
so that every good we receive we may receive through 

* Quare vincula? Nisi quia serves suos ligat, ne discurrant 
per campos licentise. 

+ Nativitas tua sancta Dei genitrix gaudium annunciavit uni- 
verso mundo. 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


739 


Mary.* Oh mother of God, thou art my joy and my 
hope, for thou dost refuse thy favor to none, and thou 
dost obtain from God whatever thou dost wish. 

3d. “Vas insigne devotionis Vessel of singular 
devotion. Devotion, as St. Thomas teaches, consists 
in the readiness of our will to conform to the will of 
God. This readiness was the principal virtue that 
rendered his most holy mother so dear to God. And 
this we are given to understand by the answer of our 
Lord to the woman who called blessed the womb that 
bore him : “Yea rather, blessed are they that hear 
the word of God and keep it.”f By this, according 
to Bede, the Lord intended to say, that Mary was 
more happy by the union of her will with that of 
God, than by being his mother. That flower which 
always turns towards the sun is a true type of Mary. 
The divine will alone was the only aim and satisfac- 
tion of the heart of Mary, as she herself sang : “ My 
spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.”]; Oh, blessed 
art thou, my Lady, who wast always and entirely 
united to the divine will ! Obtain for me the grace to 
live, for the remainder of my life, always in uniformity 
with the will of God. 

* Redempturus humanum genus universum pretium contulit 
in Maria, ut, si quid salutis in nobis est, ab ilia noverimus re- 
dundare. 

+ Quinimmo beati qui audiunt verbum Dei, et custodiunt 
illud ! Luc. xi. 28 . 

% Et exultavit spiritus meus in Deo salutari meo. 


740 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


SIXTH DAY. 

1st. “Rosa mystica:” Mystical rose. It is said 
of Mary, in the holy Canticles, that she was the in- 
closed garden of God : “ Hortus conclusus soror mea 
sponsa.”* And St. Bernard, explaining this passage, 
says that the Lord planted in this garden all the 
flowers that adorn the Church, and among others the 
violet of humility, the lily of purity, and the rose of 
charity. The rose is red ; and therefore Mary is called 
the rose, according to the Idiot, on account of the 
ardent charity with which her heart was always in- 
flamed towards God, and towards us.f And where 
can we find an advocate who is more occupied with 
our salvation, and who loves us more than Mary ? 
We acknowledge that one alone in heaven is solicitous 
for us, as St. Augustine says of her.+ Oh my dear 
mother, if I could love thee as thou lovest me ! I 
will not, however, fail of doing what I can to honor 
and love thee; my sweet Lady, obtain for me the 
grace to be faithful to thee. 

2d. “ Turns Davidica:” Tower of David. Mary is 
called, in the holy Canticles, Tower of David : “ Thy 
neck is as the tower of David ; a thousand bucklers 
hang upon it, all the armor of valiant men.”§ St. 

* iv. 12. 

t Eosa rubicunda per Dei et proximi charitatem ; nam igneus 
color charitatem denotat. 

% Unam solam in coelis fatemur esse solicitam. 

§ Collum tuum sicut turris David ; mille clypei pendent ex 
ea, omnis armatura fortium. Cant. iv. 4. 


GLORIES OF MAEY. 


741 


Bemardine says, that the tower of David stood on 
high, that is, on Sion ; and therefore Mary is called 
“ The Tower of David,” to denote the elevation of this 
great creature : as Sion was a most lofty place, so the 
blessed Virgin was most exalted.* Hence, of Mary 
it is said in the Psalms, that her sanctity in the begin- 
ning was more exalted than the mountains : “ Funda- 
menta ejus in montibus sanctis.”f St. Gregory ex- 
plains it by saying, that the divine mother was more 
holy in the first moments of her life thah the saints 
have been at the moment of their death. Oh my 
queen and mother, I rejoice in thy greatness, and am 
ready to give my life that thy glory should not be 
diminished in the least degree, if it were possible that 
it could be diminished. Oh, that I might give all my 
blood to cause all the nations of the earth to honor 
and love thee as the Lady thou art ! 

3d. “Turris eburnea:” Tower of ivory. Thus 
Mary is also called : Thy neck is as a tower of ivory : 
“ Collum tuum sicut turris eburnea. Mary is called 
the neck, for she is the mystic neck through whom 
from the head, Jesus Christ, are transmitted to us the 
faithful, who are the members of the mystic body of 
the Church, the vital spirits, namely, the divine help 
which preserves in us the life of grace. In the words 
of St. Bernardine: Through the Virgin, the life-giving 
graces flow from Christ, the head, into his mystic 

* Sicut Sion locus erat eminentissimus, sic B. Virgo altis- 
sima. 

t Psal. lxxxvi. 2. 


% Cant. vii. 4. 


742 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


body.* The saint adds, that from the time when Mary 
conceived in her womb the incarnate Word, she re- 
ceived from God such honor, that no one could re- 
ceive afiy grace except through her hands. Ivory, in 
a word, is smooth and strong, hence Rupert the Abbot 
writes of Mary : As a tower of ivory, beautiful in the 
eye of God, terrible to the devil.f Thou, then, oh 
my Lady, because thou art so beloved by God, canst 
obtain for us every blessing ; and because thou art 
terrible to demons, thou canst liberate us from all 
their snares. Have pity on us, for we glory in living 
under thy protection. 

SEVENTH DAY. 

1st. “ Domus aurea House of gold. Gold is the 
symbol of love. Hence the blessed Albertus Magnus 
calls Mary, The golden temple of charity : “ Templum 
aureum charitatis.” And with reason ; for St. Thomas 
says, that as every thing in the temple was covered 
with gold, so the beautiful soul of Mary was filled 
with sanctity. J Mary was that house of gold which 
the Eternal Wisdom, that is the divine Word, chose 
for his habitation on this earth : Wisdom hath built 
herself a house: “Sapientia eedificavit sibi domum.”§ 
Now this house of God, says Richard of St. Lawrence, 

* Per Virginem a eapite Christo vitales gratise in ejus corpus 
mysticum transfunduntur. 

t Sicut turris eburnea, Deo amabilis, diabolo terribilis. 

X Nihil erat in templo quod non auro tegeretur ; nihil erat in 
Virgine quod non sanctitate plenum esset. 

§ Prov. ix. 1. 


GLORIES OF MARY. 743 

is so rich that it can relieve all our miseries.* Oh 
Mary, thou dost love God so much that thou dost 
desire to see him beloved by all. This is the grace 
that above all others I ask of thee, and hope from thee ; 
obtain from me a great love to God. 

2d. “ Foederis area Ark of the covenant. Ischio 
calls Mary : An ark more spacious than that of Noe : 
“ Area Noe largior for in that only two animals of 
each kind were received, but under the nlantle of 
Mary all find room, both just and sinners. This was 
one day revealed to St. Gertrude, who saw a multi- 
tude of wild beasts, lions, leopards, &c., who took 
refuge under the mantle of Mary ; and she did not 
drive them away, but with kind hand caressed them, 
so that they might not fly away. The brutes who 
entered into the ark remained brutes; but sinners, 
who take shelter under the mantle of Mary, do not 
remain sinners. She will certainly change their hearts 
and render them dear to God. The Virgin herself 
revealed to St. Bridget : “ However a man may have 
sinned, if with a true purpose of amendment he re- 
turns to me, I am ready at once to receive him; 
neither do I look upon the sins with which he is la- 
den, but only whether he comes with good disposi- 
tions ; and then I do not disdain to bind up and heal 
his wounds, for I am called, and truly am, the mother 
of mercy.” Oh mother of mercy, I will then say to 
thee with St. Augustine, remember that it has never 

* Domus Dei cujus tanta est abundantia, quod nostram potest 
replere inopiam. 


744 


GLORIES OF MART. 


/ 


been knoAvn that a sinner was rejected by thee, who 
had recourse to thee for help ; I, a miserable sinner, 
invoke thee and trust in thee. 

3d. “ Janua coeli:” Gate of heaven. Mary is called 
the gate of heaven, because no one can enter into 
heaven, as St. Bonaventure declares, except through 
Mary.* In Jerusalem is my power : “ In Jerusalem 
potestas mea,” says our queen.f And Richard of St. 
Lawrence adds : Commanding what I will, and intro- 
ducing whom I will : “ Imperando quod volo, et quos 
volo introducendo.” I can obtain whatever I wish for 
my servants, and introduce whom I will into paradise. 
Therefore St. Bonaventure says: Those who enjoy 
the favor of Mary, are recognized as citizens of para- 
dise ; and those who are like her, that is, have the 
grace to be her servants, are written in the book of 
life. For this reason Bernardine de Bustis calls Mary 
the book of life, and says that he who through de- 
votion to her finds himself written in this book, will 
certainly be saved. Ah, my mother, in thee I .place 
the hopes of my eternal salvation. I love thee, save 
thou me ; do not permit a servant of thine who loves 
thee to go to blaspheme thee in hell. 

EIGHTH DAY. 

1st. “ Stella matutina Morning star. Mary is 
called by St. John Damascene : The star that pre- 

* Nullus potest intrare in coelum, nisi per Mariam, tamquam 
per portam. 
f In Missa. B. V. 


GLORIES OF MARY. 745 

cedes the sun : “ Stella demonstrans solem.” As the 
morning star precedes the sun, so devotion to the holy 
Virgin precedes the sun of divine grace ; and St. Ger- 
manus says, that devotion towards Mary in a soul, is 
a sign that it is, or soon will be, in the state of grace. 
By the Church our Lady is also called : “ The star of the 
sea for, as St. Thomas explains it, as in the time of 
tempest mariners are guided into port by the star, so 
by Mary we are guided over the sea of this world to 
paradise.* Therefore St. Bernard gives us this ad- 
vice : If you do not wish to be overwhelmed by the 
tempest of temptations, do not turn your eyes from 
this star of sal vation.f And then he adds : Following 
Mary, you cannot go astray; if Mary protects you, 
you cannot fear being lost ; if Mary favors jjou, you 
will arrive at paradise. 

2d. “ Salus infirmonim Health of the weak. 
Mary is called by St. Simon Stock.: The medicine of 
sinners: “Peccatorummedicina;” and by St. Ephrem, 
not only medicine, but health itself : Firm health for 
those who have recourse to her : “ Salus firma recur- 
rentium ad eam.”J For he who has recourse to Mary 
not only finds medicine, but he finds health, as she 
herself promises to him who seeks her: “He that 
shall find me shall find life, and shall have salvation 

* Sicut per stellam maris navigantes cliriguntur ad portum, 
sic per Mariam homines diriguntnr ad coelum. 

f Ne avertas oculos a fulgore hujus sideris, si non vis obrui 
procellis. 

X Ipsam sequens, non devias; ipsa protegente non metuis, 
ipsa propitia, pervenis. 


63 


746 GLOEIES OF MARY. 

from the Lord.”* Neither should we fear that on 
account of the loathsomeness of our wounds she will 
refuse to take care of us. She is our mother, and as a 
mother does not shrink from taking care of a child 
covered with wounds, so this celestial physician does 
not refuse to cure her servants who have recourse to 
her. Wherefore St. Bernard says : Oh mother of 
God, thou hast no horror of a sinner, however loath- 
some he may be ; if he sighs for thee, thou wilt rescue 
him with thine own hand from despair. 

3d. “ Refugium peccatorum Refuge of sinners. 
Thus Mary is called by St. Germanus : The refuge, 
ever ready, for all sinners : “ Refugium paratissimum 
peccatorum for the Idiot says, that she cannot re- 
ject any sinner, but as soon as he has recourse to her, 
Mary receives him.f Hence St. John Damascene 
calls Mary not only the refuge of the innocent, but 
also of the bad who implore her protection.]; And 
St. Anselm also says : Thou dost embrace with ma- 
ternal love the sinner who is despised by the whole 
world, neither dost thou leave the wretched until thou 
hast reconciled them to their God.§ By which he 
gives us to understand that the sinner, being hated by 
God, is rendered odious and abominable in the eyes 

* Qui invenerit me, inveniet vitam, et liauriet salutem a Do- 
mino. Prov. viii. 35. 

t Refugium tutissimum a qua nullus peccator despicitur. 
Omnes peccatores excipit, nec moram in hoc facit. 

X Civitas refugii omnium ad earn confugientium. 

§ Peccatorem toti mundo despectum materno affectu com- 
plecteris, nec deseris quousque miserum judici reconcilias. 


GLORIES OF MARY. 747 

of all creatures ; but if be has recourse to the refuge 
of sinners, Mary not only does not despise him, but 
affectionately embraces him, and does not abandon 
him until he is pardoned by her Son and our Judge, 
Jesus Christ. Then, oh my Lady, if thou art the 
refuge of all sinners, thou art also my refuge. Thou 
who dost not despise any one who has recourse to 
thee, do not despise me, for to thee I recommend 
myself : “ Refugium peccatorum, ora pro nobis.” Oh 
Mary, pray for us, and save us. 

NINTH DAY. 

1st. “ Consolatrix affiictorum Comforter of the 
afflicted. St. Germanus writes : Oh Mary, who has 
so great care of our welfare as thou hast ? Is there 
any one who relieves us in our afflictions as thou 
dost ?* No, replies St. Antoninus : There is none 
among the saints who compassionates our miseries as 
this most pious Lady.f And because the miseries 
which most afflict us are the maladies of the soul, the 
blessed Henry Suso calls Mary : The most faithful 
consoler of sinners : “ Consolatrix fidelissima peccato- 
rum.” We need only show to Mary the wounds of 
our souls, and she immediately comes to our aid with 
her prayers, and consoles us. Even as Richard of St. 
Victor teaches, her piety prevents us and relieves us 

• * Quis post filium tuum curam geiit generis humani, sicut 
tu ? Quis ita nos defendit in nostris afflictionibus ? 

f Non reperitur aliquis sanctorum ita compati infirmitalibus 
nostris, sicut mulier bsec, B. Virgo Maria. 


748 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


before we invoke her : “ Velocius occurrit quam invo- 
cetur.” Let us say to her, then, with St. Bonaven- 
ture : Oh Mary, always console us, but especially at 
the hour of our death. Cpme, then, and take our souls, 
and present them to thy Son, who is to be our Judge. 

2d. “ Auxilium Christianorum Help of Christians. 
St. John of Damascus calls her : Aid prepared and 
ready to free us from all dangers.* The help of Mary 
is, as St. Cosmas of Jerusalem declares, omnipotent 
to save us from sin and from hell. St. Bernard ad- 
dressed her in these words : Thou art invincible in the 
defence of thy servants : “ Tu bellatrix egregia,” doing 
battle with the demons who assail them. And for 
this reason Mary is called in the sacred Canticles : 
Terrible as an army set in array : “ Terribilis ut cas- 
trorum acies ordinata.”f Ah, my queen, if I had 
always had recourse to thee I should never have been 
conquered by my enemies. From henceforth thou 
must be my strength ; in my temptations I will al- 
ways invoke thee, and from thee I hope for victory. 

3d. “ Regina martyrum Queen of martyrs. Mary 
is justly called Queen of martyrs ; for her martyrdom, 
in the death of her Son on the cross, exceeded the 
sufferings of all the martyrs. And there stood by the 
cross of Jesus his mother : “ Stabat juxta crucem 
mater ejus.” Mothers fly from their children when 
they see them dying before their eyes and cannot help 

* Auxilium promptum et paratum christianorum, eripiens no 3 
a periculis. 

t Cant. vi. 8. 


GLORIES OF MART. 


749 


them ; Mary does not fly, but remains with Jesus until 
she sees him expire : “ Stabat juxta crucem.” And 
while Jesus is in his agony she is offering to the eter- 
nal Father the life of her Son for our salvation; but 
in offering it she also endures the agony of death, and 
experiences a suffering greater than that of every 
death. Oh my afflicted mother, by the merit of the 
sufferings thou didst endure at the foot of the cross, 
obtain for me a true sorrow for my sins and love for 
Jesus my Redeemer. And by that sword which 
pierced thy heart when thou didst see him bow his 
head and expire, I pray thee to assist me at the mo- 
ment of my death, and obtain for me then eternal 
salvation, that I may come to love thee forever with 
thy Son Jesus. 


MEDITATION 

For the day of the Purification of Mary and the Presentation 
of Jesus. 

1st. The time having arrived when Mary was to 
go, according to the law, to be purified in the temple 
and to present Jesus to the divine Father, she departed 
with Joseph. Joseph took the two turtle-doves that 
were to be offered, and Mary takes her dear infant — 
she takes the divine Lamb to offer him to God as a 
sign of that great sacrifice which this Son was one day 
to complete upon the cross. Oh my God, I also unite 
my offering to that of Mary ; I offer thee thy Son 

63 * 


750 


GLORIES OF MART. 


made man, and by his merits I pray thee to give me 
thy grace. I do not merit it, but J esus, to obtain it 
for me, has sacrificed himself to thee. For love then 
of Jesus, have pity on me. 

2d. Behold, Mary enters into the temple and makes 
the oblation of her Son in the name of the whole hu- 
man race. But especially on this day does Jesus offer 
himself to his eternal Father : Behold me, he says, oh 
my Father, to thee I consecrate my whole life : thou 
hast sent me into the world to save it ; behold my 
blood and my life, I offer all to thee for the salvation 
of the world. Unhappy should I be, my dear Re- 
deemer, if thou hadst not satisfied for me the divine 
justice. I thank thee for it with my whole soul, and 
I love thee with my whole heart. And whom should 
I love if I do not love a God who has sacrificed his 
life for me ? 

3d. This sacrifice was more dear to God than if all 
men and all the angels had offered to him their lives. 
Yes, because in this offering alone of Jesus the eternal 
Father received an infinite honor and an infinite 
satisfaction. Jesus Christ once said to the blessed 
Angela of Foligno: “I have offered myself for thee 
that thou mayest offer thyself to me.” Yes, my Je- 
sus, as thou didst offer to the Father thy life for me, 
I offer to thee my life and my whole self. Hitherto I 
have with so great ingratitude slighted thee, but thou 
hast promised to forget the offences of a sinner who 
repents of having offended thee ; my Jesus, I grieve 
for it, and I wish to die of grief. I was dead in sin ; 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


751 


from thee I hope for life, and my life will be to love 
thee, oh Infinite Good. Grant that I may love thee, 
and I will ask of thee nothing more. Dispense the 
goods of this earth to those who desire them ; I de- 
sire nothing but the treasure of thy love. My Jesus, 
thou art alone enough for me. Oh my queen and 
mother Mary, through thee I hope every good. 


MEDITATION 

For the Day of the Annunciation to Mary. 

1st. When God wished to send his Son to make him- 
self man that he might redeem lost man, he chose for 
him a virgin mother, among all virgins the most pure, the 
most holy, and the most humble. And behold, whilst 
Mary was in her poor little dwelling praying to God 
for the coming of the Redeemer, an angel appears and 
salutes her, and says to her : “ Hail, full of grace, the 
Lord is with thee ; blessed art thou among women.”* 
And what does the humble Virgin when she hears 
such words in her honor ? She is not elated, but is 
silent and troubled, esteeming herself too unworthy of 
these praises. She was troubled at his saying : “ Tur- 
bata est in sermone ejus.”f Oh Mary, thou so hum- 
ble and I so proud, obtain for me holy humility. 

2d. Did not those praises, at least, cause Mary to sus- 
pect that she was the destined mother of the Re- 

* Ave, gratia plena : Dominus tecum, benedicta tu in muli- 
eribus. Luc. i. 28. t Luc. i. 29. 


752 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


deemer ? No, they only caused her to conceive a 
great fear of herself. Wherefore it was necessary 
that the angel should encourage her not to be afraid : 
“Fear not, Mary, for thou hast found grace with 
God.”* And then he announced to her that she was 
chosen to be the mother of the Saviour of the world : 

“ Behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and shalt 
brino' forth a Son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus. 
Blessed art thou, oh Maiy ! how dear thou wast and 
art to thy God ! Have pity on me. 

3d. Take courage, says St. Bernard, addressing her ; 
why delay, holy Virgin, in giving thy consent ? The 
eternal Word awaits it, in order to clothe himself with 
flesh, and become thy Son. We, who are all con- 
demned to eternal death, are waiting for it in misery ; 
if thou dost accept and consent to be his mother, we 
shall all be delivered. Quickly, oh Lady, answer ; do 
not delay giving to the world that salvation which de- 
pends on thy consent. But rejoice, for Mary already 
answers to the angel : Behold, she says, the servant 
of the Lord, bound to do whatever her Lord com- 
mands if he chooses a servant for his mother, the 
servant is not to be praised, but only the goodness of 
God, who wishes thus to honor her. Oh Mary, most 
humble, thou, by thy humility, hast so enamored thy 
God that thou hast constrained him to make himself 

* Ne timeas Maria, invenisti enim gratiam apud Deum. 

t Ecce concipies in utero et paries filium et vocabis nomen 
ejus Jesum. 

X Ecce ancilla Domini fiat mihi secundum verbum tuum. 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


753 


thy Son and our Redeemer. I know that thy Son 
denies thee nothing that thou dost ask ; ask of him to 
give me his holy love ; ask of him to pardon me all 
the offences which I have committed against him ; 
ask of him to give me perseverance until death. In a 
word, recommend to him my soul, for thy recommen- 
dations are never rejected by a Son who loves thee so 
much. Oh Mary, thou must save me ; thou art my 
hope. 


MEDITATION FOR THE SECOND DAY OF JULY. 

On the Feast of the Visitation of Mary. 

1st. Mary set out from Nazareth to go to the city of 
Hebron, distant, according to Broccardo, seventy miles ; 
that is to say, at least seven days’ journey over rough 
mountains and with no other companion than her 
spouse Joseph. The holy Virgin hastens, as St. 
Luke informs us : She went into the mountainous 
country in haste : “ Abiit in montana cum festina- 
tione.”* Tell us, oh holy Lady, why thou didst un- 
dertake this long and difficult journey, and why thou 
didst thus hasten on thy way ? I am going, she an- 
swers, to exercise my office of charity ; I am going to 
console a family. If, then, oh great mother of God, 
thy office is to console and dispense graces to souls, 
ah come to console and visit also my soul. Thy visit 
then sanctified the house of Elizabeth ; come, oh Mary, 
and sanctify me also. 


* i. 39. 


754 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


2d. And now the holy Virgin has arrived at the 
house of Elizabeth. She had been made mother of 
God, but she is the first to salute her relation. She 
entered, and saluted Elizabeth: Intravit et salutavit 
Elizabeth. Elizabeth, enlightened by. the Lord, al- 
ready knows that the divine Word had become man 
and the Son of Mary ; hence she calls her blessed 
among women, and blesses that divine fruit that was 
in her womb : “ Blessed art thou among women, and 
blessed is the fruit of thy womb.”* And, filled (at the 
same time) with confusion and joy, she exclaims : “And 
whence is this to me that the mother of my Lord should 
come to me?”f But what does the humble Mary an- 
swer to these words ? She answers : My soul doth 
magnify the Lord : “ Magnificat anima mea Doimaum.’* 
As if she would say : Ah, Elizabeth, you praise me ; 
but I praise my God that he has chosen to exalt me, 
his poor servant, to be his mother : he hath regarded 
the humility of his servant : “ Respexit humilitatem 
ancillse suae.” Oh most holy Mary, since thou dost 
dispense so many graces to those who ask them of thee, 
I pray thee to give me thy humility. Thou dost es- 
teem thyself as nothing before God ; but I am worse 
than nothing, for I am, at the same time, nothing and 
a sinner. Thou canst make me humble. Make me so 
through love of that God who has made thee his mo- 
ther. 

3d. But at the first words of Mary, when she sa- 

* Bcnedicta tu in mulieres, et benedictus fructus ventris tui. 

t Et unde boc mihi, ut veniat mater Domini mei ad me ? 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


755 


lutes Elizabeth, what happens? The child, John, ex- 
ults with joy on account of the divine grace given him 
before his birth;* Elizabeth is filled with the Holy 
Spirit, and Zachary, the father of the Baptist, not long 
after, is consoled by recovering his speech. So that it 
is indeed true, oh my queen and mother, that through 
thee the divine graces are dispensed, and souls are 
sanctified. Do not forget, then, oh my most dear 
Lady, me, thy poor servant, who love thee, and have 
placed in thee all my hopes. Thy prayers are all gra- 
ciously heard by that God who loves thee so much. 
Pray, then, for me, oh my mother, and make me holy. 


MEDITATION FOR THE FIFTEENTH DAY OF AUGUST. 

On the Feast of the Assumption of Mary into Heaven. 

1st. Mary dies ; but how does she die? She dies 
entirely detached from any affection for created things, 
and dies consumed with that divine love with which her 
most holy heart was always and entirely inflamed. 
Oh holy mother, thou hast already left the earth ; do 
not forget us, miserable pilgrims, who remain in this 
valley of tears struggling against so many enemies, w r ho 
desire to see us lost in hell. Ah, by the merits of thy 
precious death, obtain for us detachment from earthly 
things, pardon of our sins, love to God, and holy per- 
severance ; and, when the hour of our death shall ar- 

* Ut audivit salutationem Marise Elisabeth exultavit infans in 
utero ejus, et repleta est spiritu sancto Elisabeth. Luc. i. 41. 


756 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


rive, assist us from heaven with thy prayers, and ob- 
tain for us to come and kiss thy feet in paradise. 

2d. Mary dies, and her most pure body is carried 
by the holy apostles, and placed in the sepulchre, and 
is guarded by angels for three days, after which it is 
transported to paradise ; but her beautiful soul entered, 
as soon as she expired, the kingdom of the blessed, 
accompanied by innumerable angels and by her Son 
himself. Having entered heaven, she humbly pre- 
sents herself to God, adores him, and, with unbounded 
love, thanks him for all the graces which she has re- 
ceived from him. God embraces her, blesses her, and 
constitutes her queen of the universe, exalting her 
above all the angels and saints.* Now, if the human 
mind, as the apostle says, cannot arrive at the com- 
prehension of the great glory that God is preparing in 
heaven for his servants who have loved him on this 
earth, what must be the glory that he gave to this his 
most holy mother, who on earth has loved him more 
than all the saints and angels, and has loved him with 
all her power ! So that Mary alone, when she entered 
heaven, could say to God : Oh my Lord, if I have not 
loved thee on earth as thou dost merit, at least I have 
loved thee as much as I could. 

3d. Let us rejoice with Mary in the glory with 
which her God has enriched her; and let us also 
rejoice for ourselves, for Mary, at the same time 
was made queen of the world, and appointed our ad- 

* Exaltata est sancta Dei genitrix super choros angelorum ad 
ccelestia regna. 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


757 


vocate. She is so merciful an advocate, that she 
consents to defend all sinners who recommend them- 
selves to her; and she is so powerful with our Judge 
that she gains all the causes which she defends. Oh 
our queen and advocate, in thy hand is our salva- 
tion ; if thou dost pray for us, we shall be saved. 
Say to thy Son that thou dost wish us with thee in 
paradise. He denies thee nothing that thou dost ask. 
Oh our life, our sweetness, and our hope ! Mary, pray 
Jesus for us. 


MEDITATION FOR THE EIGHTH DAY OF SEPTEMBER. 

On the Feast of the Nativity of Mary. 

1st. Before the birth of Mary the world was lost 
in the darkness of sin. Mary was born, and the 
morning arose : “ Nata Maria, surrexit aurora,” says 
a holy Father. Already it had been said of Mary : 
“ Who is she that cometh forth as the morning 
rising ?”* As the earth rejoices when the day dawns, 
for the dawn is the precursor of the sun, so Mary at 
her birth gave joy to the whole world, for she was 
the precursor of the sun of justice, Jesus Christ, who 
being made her son, came to save us by his death 
therefore the Church sings : “ Thy nativity, oh virgin 
mother of God, announced joy to the whole world, for 
from thee the sun of justice has arisen, who has given 

* Quse est ista quas progreditur quasi aurora consurgens?. 
Cant. vi. 9. 


G4 


758 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


us life eternal.”* Thus, when Mary was bom, we re- 
ceived our remedy, our consolation, and our salvation ; 
for through Mary we have received the Saviour. 

2d. This child being then destined for the mother 
of the eternal Word, God bestowed on her so much 
grace, that even from her immaculate conception her 
sanctity excelled the sanctity of all the saints and 
angels united, for she received a grace of a superior 
order, corresponding to the dignity of mother of God. 
Oh holy infant, oh full of grace, I, a miserable sinner, 
salute thee and adore thee. Thou art the beloved, 
the delight of God ; have pity on me, who through 
my sins have been hateful and abominable in the eyes 
of God. Thou, oh most pure Virgin, hast so well 
known even from thy infancy how to gain the heart 
of God, that he denies thee nothing, and grants all 
that thou dost ask of him. In thee then I place my 
hopes. Recommend me to thy Son, and I shall be 
saved. 

3d. At the same time that Mary was destined to be 
the mother of our Redeemer, she was also destined to 
be the mediatrix between God and us sinners. Hence 
the Angelic Doctor, St. Thomas, says, that Mary re- 
ceived grace sufficient to save all men ; and therefore 
St. Bernard calls Mary a channel so full that we can 
all partake of its fulness. f Oh my queen, oh media- 

* Nati vitas tua, Dei genitrix virgo, gaudium annuntiavit uni- 
verso mundo, ex te enim ortus est sol justitiee, qui donavit nobis 
vitam sempiternam. 

t Plenus aquaeductus, ut accipiant ceteri de ejus plenitudine. 


GLORIES OF MART. 


759 


trix of sinners, perform thy office and intercede for 
me ! Let not my sins prevent me from confiding in 
thee, oh great mother of God ; no, I trust in thee, and 
trust in thee so much, that if my salvation were in my 
own hands, yet I would place it all in thine. Oh Mary, 
receive me under thy protection, and this is enough 
for me. 


MEDITATION FOR THE TWENTY-FIRST DAY OF NOVEMBER. 

On the Feast of the Presentation of Mary. 

1st. The holy child Mary, having hardly arrived at 
the age of three years, entreated her parents that she 
might be placed in the temple according to the prom- 
ise which they had made. The day appointed having 
arrived, the immaculate young Virgin leaves Nazareth 
with St. Joachim and St. Anna, accompanied by a 
host of angels who attend that holy child who was 
destined for the mother of their Creator. Go, says 
St. Germanus, go, oh blessed Virgin, to the house of 
the Lord, to await the Holy Spirit, who is to come to 
render thee mother of the eternal Word. ' 

2d. The holy company having arrived at the temple 
in Jerusalem, the holy child turns to her parents, and 
kneeling, kisses their hands, asks their blessing, and 
then, without looking back, ascends the steps of the 
temple. There renouncing entirely the world and all 
things that the world could give her, she offers and 
consecrates herself wholly to God. Henceforth the 


760 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


life of Mary in the temple was but one continual exer- 
cise of love, and the offering of her whole self to her 
Lord. She increased from hour to hour, nay, from mo- 
ment to moment, in holy virtues, sustained indeed by 
divine grace, but always endeavoring, with all her 
powers, to correspond with grace. Mary herself re- 
vealed this to St. Elizabeth, the virgin, saying : “Do 
you think that I obtained the graces and virtues with- 
out an effort ? Know that I received from God no 
grace without great effort, continual prayer, an ardent 
desire, and many tears and penances.” 

3d. Thus Mary, a young virgin in the temple, did 
nothing but pray. And seeing the human race lost 
and hateful to God, she especially prayed for the 
coming of the Messias, desiring then to be the ser- 
vant of that happy Virgin who was to be the mother 
of God. Oh, who would have said to her then : Oh 
holy Lady, know that already through thy prayers 
the Son of God is hastening to come and redeem the 
world ; and know that thou art the blessed one chosen 
to be the mother of thy Creator. Oh beloved of God, 
most holy child, thou prayest for all, pray also for 
me. Thou hast consecrated thyself wholly, even from 
infancy, to the love of thy God ; ah, obtain for me at 
least that during the remaining years of my life I may 
live for God alone. To-day, together with thee, I 
renounce all creatures, and consecrate myself to the 
love of my Lord. I also offer myself to thee, oh my 
queen, to serve thee forever. Accept me for thy 
special servant, and obtain for me the grace to be 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


761 


faithful to thee and to thy Son, that I may come one 
day to praise thee and love thee eternally in paradise. 


MEDITATION FOR THE EIGHTH DAY OF DECEMBER. 

On the Feast of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Vir- 
gin Mary. 

1st. It was indeed befitting the three divine persons 
to preserve Mary from original sin. It was befitting 
the Father, for Mary was his first-born daughter. 
As Jesus was the first-born of God: “ Primogenitus 
omnis creaturse,”* so Mary, being destined to become 
the mother of Jesus, God always considered her as his 
adopted first-born daughter, and therefore always pos- 
sessed her by his grace : “ Dominus possedit me in 
initio viarum suarum. ,, | It was, then, befitting the 
honor of the Son that the Father should preserve the 
mother from every stain of sin. It was also fitting, 
because he destined this his daughter to crush the 
head of the infernal serpent which had seduced man, 
as we read : Ipsa conteret caput tuum. How could 
he then permit that, she should first be his slave? 
Moreover, Mary was also destined to be the advocate 
of sinners ; and for this reason also it was meet 
that God should preserve her from sin, that she might 
not appear guilty of the very sin of those for whom 
she was to intercede. 

2d. It was befitting the Son that his mother should. 

O 

* Colos. i. 15. t Prov. viii. 22. 

64* 


762 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


be immaculate. He chose her himself for his mother, 
and it cannot be believed that a son who has 
it in his power to choose a queen for his mother, 
would choose a slave. How then could we believe 
that the eternal Word would wish for his mother one 
defiled by sin, and once an enemy of God, when it 
was in his power to have an immaculate mother and 
one always the friend of God ? Moreover, St. Au- 
gustine says : The flesh of Christ is the flesh of Mary: 
“ Caro Christi caro est Marise.” The Son of God 
would have felt horror at taking flesh from St. Agnes, 
St. Gertrude, or St. Theresa, because those holy 
virgins, before baptism, were stained by sin, and the 
devil would have been able to reproach him for 
being clothed with a flesh which once had been sub- 
ject to him. But he felt no horror at becoming man 
in the womb of Mary : “Non horruisti virginis ute- 
rum,” Mary having always been pure and immaculate. 
Besides, St. Thomas says that Mary was preserved 
from every actual sin, even venial, for otherwise she 
would not have been a fitting mother of God ; but 
how much less fit would she have been, if she had 
been defiled by original sin, which renders the soul 
odious to God ! 

3d. It was befitting the Holy Spirit that this his 
most beloved spouse should be immaculate. The re- 
demption of men who had already fallen into sin being 
decreed, he wished that this his spouse should be re- 
deemed in the most noble manner, namely, by being 
preserved from falling into sin. And if God preserved 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


763 


the body of Mary after her death, how much more 
ought we to believe that he would preserve her soul 
from the corruption of guilt! For this reason the 
divine spouse called her an inclosed garden, a sealed 
fountain (Cant.), for the enemies never entered the 
blessed soul of Mary. Therefore he praised her, call- 
ing her all fair, always beloved, and spotless. Ah, 
my most lovely Lady, it is my delight to see thee so 
dear to thy God through thy purity and beauty. I 
thank God for having preserved thee from every sin. 
Ah, my queen, since thou art so loved by the most 
Holy Trinity, do not disdain to cast thy eyes upon my 
soul so defiled by sin, that thou mayest obtain for me, 
from God, pardon and eternal salvation. Look upon 
me and change me. Thou, by thy sweetness, hast 
drawn so many hearts to love thee, draw also my 
heart, that henceforth I may love no other than God 
and thee. Thou knowest that in thee I have placed 
all my hopes ; my dear mother, do not abandon me. *■ 
Assist me always by thy intercession, in life and espe- 
cially in death ; make me then to die invoking thee, 
and loving thee, that I may come to love thee forever 
in paradise. 


764 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


PRATERS TO THE DIVINE MOTHER 

FOB EVEBY DAY OF THE WEEK. 


SUNDAY. 

Prayer to the most holy Mary to obtain the pardon of sins. 

Behold, oh mother of God, at thy feet a miserable 
sinner, the slave of hell, who has recourse to thee, 
and trusts in thee. I do not even merit that thou 
shouldst look upon me, but I know that having seen 
thy Son die to save sinners, thou hast the greatest 
desire to aid them. Oh mother of mercy, look on my 
miseries, and have pity on me. I hear thee called by 
all : The refuge of sinners, the hope of the desperate, 
the help of the abandoned. Then thou art my 
refuge, my hope, my help. Thou must save me by 
thy intercession. Succor me for the love of Jesus 
Christ, give thy hand to a poor fallen sinner who rec- 
ommends himself to thee. I know that thou dost 
find consolation in helping the sinner when thou canst ; 
help me then, for thou canst help me. I, by my sins, 
have lost the grace of God and my own soul. Now 
I place myself in thy hands ; tell me what I must do 
to return to the favor of my Lord, for I will do it 
without delay. He sends me to thee, that thou 
mayest succor me, and he wishes me to have recourse 
to thy mercy, that not only the merits of thy Son, 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


765 


but also thy prayers may aid in my salvation. To 
thee then I have recourse ; thou who dost pray for 
so many others, pray also to Jesus for me. Ask him 
to pardon me, and he will pardon me ; tell him that 
thou dost desire my salvation, and he will save me. 
Make known the good that thou canst do to those who 
confide in thee. Amen ; thus I hope, thus may it be. 

MONDAY. 

Prayer to the most holy Mary to obtain holy ‘perseverance: 

Oh queen of heaven, I who once have been a mis- 
erable slave of Lucifer, now dedicate myself to thee, 
as thy servant forever, and offer myself to honor and 
serve thee for my whole life ; accept me, do not refuse 
me as I merit. Oh my mother, I have placed in thee 
all my hopes, from thee I hope all blessings. I thank 
and bless God, who in his mercy has given me this 
confidence in thee, which I consider as the great 
earnest of my salvation. Ah, how have I fallen in my 
past life, I a miserable sinner, because I have not had 
recourse to thee ! Now I hope to be pardoned 
through the merits of Jesus Christ, and through thy 
prayers. But I may again lose the divine grace ; the 
danger is not over ; my enemies do not sleep. How 
many new temptations remain for me to conquer! 
Ah, my most sweet Lady, protect me, and do not per- 
mit me again to be their slave ; help me always. I 
know that thou wilt help me, and with thy help I 
shall conquer, if I recommend myself to thee; but 


766 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


this I fear, that in occasions of falling into sin, I may 
neglect to call on thee, and thus may be lost. This 
grace I ask of thee, obtain for me that in the assaults 
of hell, I may always have recourse to thee, saying : 
Mary, aid me. My good mother, do not permit me to 
lose my God. 

TUESDAY. 

Prayer to Mary most holy to obtain a good death. 

Oh Mary, what will be my death ? I tremble and 
am confounded when I now consider my sins, and 
think of that great, decisive moment of my salvation 
or eternal damnation, when I shall die and be judged. 
Oh my most sweet mother, my hopes are in the blood 
of Jesus Christ, and in thy intercession. Oh consoler 
of the afflicted, do not abandon me then ; do not cease 
consoling me in that great affliction. If now I am 
tormented with remorse on account of past sins, the 
uncertainty of pardon, the danger of relapse, and the 
rigor of divine justice, what will become of me then ? 
If thou dost not aid me, I am lost. Ah, my Lady, 
before my death arrives, obtain for me a great sorrow 
for my sins, a true amendment, and fidelity to God 
for the life that remains to me. And when the last 
moment of my life comes, oh Mary my hope, aid me 
then in my great distress, and encourage me then that 
I may not despair at the sight of my sins which the 
demon will present to me. Obtain for me the grace 
to invoke thee then more constantly, that I may expire 


GLORIES OF MART. 


767 


with thy sweet name, and that of thy most holy Son, 
upon my lips. And now, oh Lady, pardon my bold- 
ness : before I expire come thyself to console me by 
thy presence. This grace thou hast granted to so 
many of thy servants, I also wish and hope for it. I 
am, indeed, a sinner, and I do not merit it ; but I am 
thy servant, who loves thee, and has great confidence 
in thee. Oh Mary, I wait for thee, do not leave me 
disconsolate. At least, if I am not worthy of so great 
a favor, assist me from heaven, that I may die in the 
love of God and of thee, and come to love God and 
thee eternally in paradise. 

WEDNESDAY. 

Prayer to Mary most holy to obtain deliverance from hell. 

Oh my dearest Lady, I thank thee that thou hast 
so often rescued me from hell : as often as I have de- 
served it through my sins. Oh miserable sinner ! I 
was already condemned to that prison, and that sen- 
tence would perhaps have been executed upon me 
after my first sin, if thou hadst not in thy mercy helped 
me. Thou wast not even invoked by me, but by thy 
mercy, alone thou hast restrained the divine justice, 
and then subduing my hard-heartedness, hast drawn 
me to take confidence in thee. And oh, into how 
many sins I should have fallen in the dangers to which 
I have been exposed, if thou, my most loving mother, 
hadst not preserved me by the graces which thou 
hast obtained for me ! Ah, my queen, still preserve 


768 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


me from hell. But of what avail will be thy mercy 
and the favors that thou hast bestowed on me, if I 
should be condemned ? If once I loved thee not, now, 
after God, I love thee above every thing. Ah, do not 
permit that I should turn my back upon thee and upon 
God, who, through thee, hath dispensed to me so 
many mercies. My most amiable Lady, do not per- 
mit that I should hate and curse thee in hell. Wilt 
thou suffer a servant of thine who loves thee to oe 
lost ? Oh Mary, what dost thou say to me ? I shall 
be lost if I leave thee. But who could have the heart 
to leave thee ? How could I forget the love thou 
hast borne me ? My mother, since thou hast done so 
much to save me, complete the work ; continue to aid 
me. Dost thou wish to help me ? But what do I 
say ? If thou didst show me so much favor when I 
lived forgetful of thee, how much more ought I now 
to hope, when I love thee and recommend myself to 
thee ! No, he who has recourse to thee is never lost ; 
only he who does not recommend himself to thee. 
Ah, my mother, do not leave me in my own hands, 
for I shall be lost ; make me always to have recourse 
to thee. Save me, my hope, save me from hell ; but 
first from sin, which alone can condemn me to hell. 

THURSDAY. 

Prayer to the most holy Mary to obtain paradise. 

Oh queen of paradise, who sittest above the choirs 
of angels, nearest to God ; from this vale of misery I, 
a miserable sinner, salute thee, and pray thee to turn 


GLORIES OF MART. 


769 


towards me those kind eyes of thine, that dispense 
graces to all those they look upon. See, oh Mary, 
in how much danger I now find myself, and must 
find myself, while I live on this earth, of losing my 
soul, paradise, and God. In thee, oh Lady, I have 
placed all my hopes. I love thee, and long to come 
to thee, see thee, and praise thee in paradise. Ah 
Mary, when will the day come that I shall see myself 
safe at thy feet, and shall behold the mother of my 
Lord and my mother, who has been so occupied with 
my salvation ? When shall I kiss that hand which has 
so many times delivered me from hell and bestowed 
on me so many graces, when, by my sins, I merited to 
be hated and abandoned by all ? Oh Lady, I have 
been very ungrateful to thee in my life ; but if I come 
to paradise I will be no more ungrateful. There I 
will love thee as much as I can, every moment through 
all eternity, and I will make amends for my ingrati- 
tude by blessing thee and thanking thee forever. 
Above all, I thank God who gives me such confidence 
in the blood of Jesus Christ and in thee ; namely, that 
thou wilt save me, that thou wilt free me from my 
sins, and obtain for me light and strength to execute 
the divine will, and finally conduct me to the port of 
paradise. All this have thy servants hoped, and none 
have been deceived. Neither shall I be deceived. 
Mary, I wish nothing else ; thou must save me. Pray 
thy Son Jesus, as I also pray him, through the merits 
of his passion, to preserve in me, and always more in- 
crease this confidence, and I shall be saved. 

65 


770 


GLORIES OF MARY 


FRIDAY. 

Prayer to the most holy Mary to obtain love towards her and 
Jesus Christ. 

Oh Mary, I know that thou art the creature the 
most noble, the most sublime, the most pure, the most 
beautiful, the most merciful, the most holy ; in a 
word, the most lovely of all creatures. Oh, if all 
knew thee, oh my Lady, and loved thee as thou dost 
merit! But I console myself that so many happy 
souls in heaven and on earth live enamored of thy 
goodness and beauty. Above all, I rejoice that God 
himself loves thee alone more than all men and angels 
united. My most amiable queen, I, a miserable sin- 
ner, also love thee, but I love thee too little : I desire 
a love greater and more tender towards thee ; and 
this thou must obtain for me, for to love thee is a 
great sign of predestination, and a grace that God 
does not grant except to those whom he wishes to be 
saved. 

I see myself then, oh my mother, greatly indebted 
to thy Son. I see that he merits an infinite love. 
Thou who desirest nothing but to see him loved, this 
is the grace that above all others thou must obtain 
for me ; obtain for me a great love for Jesus Christ. 
Thou dost obtain from God whatever thou dost wish ; 
ah, obtain for me this grace, to be so united with the 
divine will that I may never more be separated from 
it. I do not ask of thee the goods of earth, neither 


GLORIES OF MARY. 771 

honors nor riches ; I ask of thee what thy heart most 
desires, I wish to love my God. Is it possible that 
thou wilt not aid me in this my desire, which pleases 
thee so much ? No, for thou dost even now help me, 
already thou art praying for me ; pray, pray, and 
never cease to pray until thou seest me in paradise, 
beyond the danger of being able any more to lose my 
Lord, and certain of loving him forever, together with 
thee, my dearest mother. 

SATURDAY. 

Prayer to the most holy Mary to obtain her patronage. 

Oh my most holy mother, I know what graces thou 
hast obtained for me, and I see the ingratitude of 
which I have been guilty towards thee. The ungrate- 
ful are no longer worthy of favors ; but I will not on 
this account distrust thy mercy, which is greater than 
my ingratitude. Oh my great advocate, have pity on 
me. Thou art the dispenser of all the graces which 
God grants to us miserable sinners, and for this end 
he has made thee so powerful, so rich, and so merci- 
ful, that thou mightest succor us in our miseries. Ah, 
mother of mercy, do not leave me in my poverty. 
Thou art the advocate of the most wretched and aban- 
doned sinners who have recourse to thee, defend me 
also, who recommend myself to thee. Do not tell me 
that it is difficult to gain my cause, for the most des- 
perate causes are all gained when they are defended 
by thee. In thy hands, then, I place my eternal sal- 


772 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


vation, and to thee I commit my soul. It was lost ; 
thou, by thy intercession, must save it. I wish to be 
enrolled among thy most devoted servants ; do not 
cast me out : thou dost go in search of the wretched 
to relieve them ; do not abandon a miserable sinner 
who has recourse to thee. Speak for me ; thy Son 
does whatever thou dost ask of him. Take me under 
thy protection, and this will be enough : yes, for if 
thou dost protect me I fear nothing ; nothing from my 
sins, for thou wilt obtain for me the remedy for the 
injury I have inflicted upon myself; nor from the 
demons, for thou art more powerful than all hell 
united ; nor from Jesus my Judge himself, for by one 
prayer of thine he is appeased. I only fear that 
through my negligence I may cease to invoke thee, 
and shall thus be lost. My mother, obtain for me the 
pardon of all my sins, love to Jesus, holy perseverance, 
a good death, and finally, paradise ; especially obtain 
for me the grace always to recommend myself to thee. 
It is true that these graces are too much for me who 
do not merit them, but they are not too much for thee 
who art so much beloved by God that he grants thee 
whatever thou dost ask of him. It is enough that 
thou dost begin to speak, and he denies thee nothing. 
Pray then to Jesus for me, tell him that thou dost 
protect me, and he will not fail to have pity on me. 
My mother, I trust in thee ; in this hope I repose and 
live, and in this I wish to die. Amen. 

Live alway, Jesus our love and Mary our hope ! 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


773 


LITTLE ROSARY 

OF THE SEVEN DOLORS OF MARY. 


Incline unto mine aid, oh God, &c. 

My mother, enable my heart to share thy sorrow for the death 
of thy Son. I 

First Dolor . — I pity thee, oh my afflicted mother, 
on account of the first sword of sorrow that pierced 
thee, when in the temple, by the prophecy of St. 
Simeon, all the cruel sufferings that men would inflict 
on thy beloved Jesus were represented to thee, which 
thou hadst already learned from the holy Scriptures, 
even to his death before thy eyes upon the infamous 
wood of the cross, exhausted of blood and abandoned 
by all, and thou without the power to defend or re- 
lieve him. By that bitter memory, then, which for so 
many years afflicted thy heart, I pray thee, oh my 
queen, to obtain for me the grace that always in life 
and in death I may keep impressed upon my heart 
the passion of Jesus and thy sorrows. 

Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be to God, &c., Oh my mother, 
&c., as above. Which strophe must always be repeated at the 
end of each dolor. 

Second Dolor . — I pity thee, oh my afflicted mother, 
on account of the second sword that pierced thee 
when thou didst behold thy innocent Son, so soon after 
his birth, threatened with death by those very men 
65 * 


774 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


for whom he had come into the world ; so that thou 
wast obliged to flee with him by night secretly into 
Egypt. By the many hardships, then, that thou, a 
delicate young virgin, in company with thy exiled in- 
fant, didst endure in the long and wearisome journey 
through rough and desert countries, and in thy sojourn 
in Egypt, where, being unknown and a stranger, thou 
didst live all those years poor and despised, I pray 
thee, bh my beloved Lady, to obtain for me the grace 
to suffer with patience, in thy company till death, the 
trials of this miserable life, that I may be able in the 
next to be preserved from the eternal sufferings of 
hell deserved by me. Our Father, &c. 

Third Dolor . — I pity thee, oh my afflicted mother, 
on account of the third sword that pierced thy heart at 
the loss of thy dear son, Jesus, who remained absent 
from thee in Jerusalem for three days, when not see- 
ing thy beloved one by thy side, and not knowing the 
cause of his absence, I conceive, my loving queen, how 
in these nights thou didst not repose, and didst naught 
but sigh for him who was thy only good. By the 
sighs, then, of those three days, for thee so long and 
bitter, I pray thee to obtain for me the grace never 
to lose my God ; that I may always live closely united 
to God, and thus united with him^depart from this 
world. Our Father, &c. 

Fourth Dolor . — I pity thee, my afflicted mother, on 
account of the fourth sword that pierced thy heart, in 
seeing thy Jesus condemned to death, bound with 
ropes and chains, covered with blood and wounds, 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


775 


crowned with thorns, and falling under the weight of 
the heavy cross which he bore on his bleeding back 
when going like an innocent lamb to die for love of us. 
Thine eye then met his eye, and your glances were so 
many cruel arrows with which each wounded the lov- 
ing heart of the other. By this great grief, then, I 
pray thee to obtain for me the grace to live wholly re- 
signed to the will of my God, joyfully bearing my 
cross with Jesus to the last foment of my life. Our 
Father, &c. 

Fifth Dolor . — I pity thee, oh my afflicted mother, on 
account of the fifth sword that pierced thy heart, when 
on Mount Calvary thou didst behold thy beloved son, 
J esus, dying slowly before thy eyes, amid so many in- 
sults, and in anguish, on that hard bed of the cross, with- 
out being able to give him even the least of those com- 
forts which the greatest criminals receive at the hour 
of death. And I pray thee by the anguish which thou, 
oh my most loving mother, didst suffer together with 
thy dying Son, and by the tenderness thou didst feel 
when, for the last time, he spoke to thee from the 
cross, and taking leave of thee, left all of us to thee 
in the person of St. John, as thy children ; and thou, 
still constant, didst behold him bow his head and ex- 
pire; I pray thee to obtain for me the grace, by 
thy crucified love, to live and die crucified to every 
thing in this world, in order to live only to God through 
my whole life, and thus to enter one day paradise, to 
enjoy him face to face. Our Father, <fcc. 

Sixth Dolor . — I pity thee, oh my afflicted mother. 


776 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


on account of the sixth sword which pierced thy heart, 
when thou didst see the kind heart of thy Son pierced 
through and through after his death — a death endured 
for those ungrateful men, who, even after his death, 
were not satisfied with the tortures they had inflicted 
upon him. By this cruel sorrow, then, which was 
wholly thine, I pray thee to obtain for me the grace 
to abide in the heart of Jesus, who was wounded and 
opened for me ; in that heart, I say, which is the beau- 
tiful abode of love, where all the souls who love God 
repose ; and that living there, I may never love or 
think of any thing but God. Most holy Virgin,, thou 
canst do it ; from thee I hope for it. Our Father, &c. 

Seventh Dolor . — I pitj^ thee, my afflicted mother, on 
account of the seventh sword that pierced thy heart, on 
seeing in thy arms thy Son who had just expired, no 
longer fair and beautiful as thou didst once receive 
him in the stable of Bethlehem, but covered with blood, 
livid, and lacerated by wounds which exposed his very 
bones. My Son, thou saidst, my Son, to what has 
love brought thee ? And when he was borne to the 
sepulchre, thou didst wish to accompany him thyself, 
and help to put him in the tomb with thy own hands ; 
and, bidding him a last farewell, thou hast left thy 
loving heart buried with thy Son. By all the anguish 
of thy pure soul, obtain for me, oh mother of fair love, 
pardon for the offences that I have committed against 
my God, whom I love, and of which I repent with my 
whole heart. Wilt thou defend me in temptations ? 
Assist me at the hour of my death, that, being saved 


GLOEIES OF MARY. 


777 


by the merits of Jesus and thine, I may come one day, 
with thy aid, after this miserable exile, to sing in para- 
dise the praises of Jesus and thine through all eternity. 
Amen. Our Father, &c. 

Pray for us, oh most sorrowful Virgin ; 

That we may be worthy of the promises of Christ. 

Let us Pray. 

On GQd, at whose passion, according to the proph- 
ecy of Simeon, the sword of sorrow pierced through 
the most sweet soul of the glorious virgin and mother, 
Mary, grant that we, who commemorate and reverence 
her dolors, may experience the blessed effect of thy pas- 
sion, who livest and reignest world without end. Amen. 

Benedict XIII. granted two hundred days’ indul- 
gence for every “ Our Father” and every “ Hail Mary” 
to those who recite this little crown in the churches of 
the Servites of Mary, and has granted the same favor 
to those who recite it in any place whatever on Fridays 
or any day during Lent ; and on other days, one hun- 
dred days for every “ Our Father,” and “ Hail Mary.” 
To those who recite it entire, seven years. To those 
who recite it for a year, plenary indulgence, applicable 
to the souls in purgatory.'* 

Moreover, let it be observed that there are seven hun- 
dred years of indulgence for the dead granted by Cle- 
ment XII. to those who say, kneeling, the De Profun- 
dis at the ringing of the bell. 


* Sinisc. in. fin. prat. 3, p. 8. 


778 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


& SLfttle Bosarj) cf t£e immaculate ^tfarj), 

Which is recited in some Churches. 

Incline unto mine aid, oh God, &c. Glory, &c. 
After this, an “ Our Father” is recited in honor of the 
Eternal Father, in thanksgiving for all the graces be- 
stowed on Mary ; with four “ Hail Marys.” The same 
is repeated in honor of the Son, and again in honor of 
the Holy Ghost. After each “ Hail Mary” is recited 
the following verse : 

As ’mid the thorns the lily fair 
Art thou, Virgin immaculate, 

From sin preserved, by him whose care 
Did thee his mother blest create. 

At the end : 

V. Pray for us, oh immaculate Virgin : 

Ora pro nobis, Virgo immaculata ; 

It. That we may be worthy of the promises of Christ : 

Ut digni officiamur promissionibus Chris ti. 

Let us Pray. 

Grant to thy servants, we pray thee, oh Lord, the 
gift of divine grace, that to us, for whom the maternity 
of the blessed Virgin was the beginning of salvation, the 
votive commemoration of her conception may bring an 
increase of peace. By our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. 

DcTjfcatfon of oneself to iftSarj). 

Oh most holy virgin mother of God, Mary, I, N - ., 
although most unworthy of being thy servant, yet 
moved by thy wonderful mercy and by the desire to 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


779 


serve thee, choose thee to-day, in presence of my 
guardian angel, and of the whole celestial court, for 
my especial Lady, Advocate, and Mother, and make 
the firm resolution that I always will love and serve 
thee for the future, and do whatever I can to in- 
duce others also to love and serve thee. I pray thee, 
mother of God, and my most kind and amiable mother, 
by the blood of thy divine Son which was shed for 
me, that thou wilt receive me into the number of thy 
servants for thy child and servant forever ; assist me 
in all my thoughts, words, and actions, at every mo- 
ment of my life, that every step and breath may be 
directed to the greater glory of my God, and through 
thy most powerful intercession obtain for me that I 
may never more offend my beloved Jesus, that I may 
glorify and love him in this life, and that I may also 
love thee, my most beloved and dear mother, that I 
may love thee and enjoy thee through eternity in holy 
paradise. Amen. 

My mother Mary, I recommend to thee my soul, 
especially at the hour of my death. 

ZDeTncatum of a jFamflg to i&arg. 

Oh blessed and immaculate Virgin, our queen and 
mother, refuge and consolation of all those who are in 
misery, I, prostrate before thy throne with all my 
family, choose thee for my Lady, Mother, and Advocate 
with God. I, with all who belong to me, dedicate 
myself forever to thy service, and pray thee, oh mother 
of God, to receive us into the number of thy servants, 


780 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


taking us all under thy protection, aiding us in life, 
and still more, at the hour of our death. Oh mother 
of mercy, I choose thee Lady and ruler of my whole 
house, of my relatives, my interests, and all my affairs. 
Do not disdain to take care of them ; dispose of them 
all as it pleases thee. Bless me, then, and all my 
family, and do not permit that any of us should offend 
thy Son. Do thou defend us in temptations, deliver 
us from dangers, provide for us in our necessities, 
counsel us in our doubts, console us in afflictions, be 
with u^ in sickness, and especially in the agonies of 
death. Do not permit the devil to glory in having in 
his chains any of us who are now consecrated to thee ; 
but grant that we may come to thee in heaven to 
thank thee, and together with thee to praise and love 
our Redeemer Jesus for all eternity. Amen, thus 
may it be. 

JUraijer of St. to a&brebfateU.* 

Oh immaculate and wholly pure Virgin Mary, 
mother of God, queen of the world, hope of the de- 
spairing ; thou art the joy of the saints, thou art the 
reconciler of sinners to God, thou art the advocate of 
the abandoned, the secure haven of the shipwrecked ; 
thou art the consolation of the world, the ransom of 
captives, the comforter of the afflicted, the salvation 
of the world. Oh great queen, we take refuge in thy 
protection. We confide in none but thee, oh most 
pure Virgin : Non nobis est alia quam in te fiducia, 0 


App. Crass, tom. 2, sec. 4. 


GLORIES OF MARY. *781 

Virgo sincerissima. Oh Lady, after God we have no 
other hope but in thee. We bear the name of thy 
servants, do not permit the enemy to bear us away to 
hell. Hail, best mediatrix of God and men : Ave, 
Dei et hominum mediatrix optima. I salute thee, oh 
great mediatrix of peace between men and God ; oh 
mother of Jesus our Lord, the love of all men and of 
God ; to thee be honor and blessing with the Father 
and with the Holy Spirit. Amen. 

Stager of St. Syomas of gTqtun. 

Oh most blessed and sweet Virgin Mary, full of 
compassion, I recommend to thy mercy my soul and 
my body, my thoughts, my works, my life, and my 
death. Oh my Lady, help me and make me strong 
against the snares of the devil ; obtain for me a true 
and perfect love, with which I may love with all my 
heart thy most beloved Son, and my Lord Jesus 
Christ ; and after him may I love thee above all things. 
Oh my queen and mother, with thy most powerful 
intercession make this love to remain with me until 
death, after which may I be conducted by thee to the 
country of the blessed.* 

$ra£ev of St. 3Slosfus to the 33lesseK Vfrflfn. 

Hail, Mary, hope of the despairing, help of the 
destitute, to whom thy Son pays so great honor that 
whatever thou dost ask thou dost at once obtain, what- 
ever thou dost wish is at once done. To thee are com- 

* Ex offic. praed. et Diar. 7, mart. 

<56 


782 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


mitted the treasures of the celestial kingdom. Grant, 
oh Lady, that amid the storms of this life, I may al- 
ways turn my eyes to thee. To thy mercy I commend 
my soul and my body. Direct and protect me at every 
hour and every moment, oh my sweet protectress. 

&not|)er drawer. 

Hail, most compassionate mother of mercy ; hail, 
consolation and pardon, Mary most desired. Who 
shall not love thee ? Thou our light in doubt, our 
consolation in sorrow, our relief in distress, our refuge 
in perils and temptations, thou, after thy only-begotten 
Son, art our secure salvation. Blessed are those who 
love thee, oh Lady. Incline, I pray thee, thy ear of 
mercy to the prayers of .this thy servant, this miserable 
sinner, and dissipate the darkness of my vices by the 
rays of thy sanctity, that I may please thee.* 

^Ejaculations to tfje Jttost J^oId J^targ. 

Mother of God, remember me. — St. Francis 
Xavier. 

Virgin and mother, make me always to remember 
thee. — St. Philip Neri. 

Virgin Mary, mother of God, pray to Jesus for 
me. — The same Saint. 

Oh Lady, obtain that Jesus may not cast me from 
him. — St. Ephrem. 

Oh Mary, may my heart never cease to love thee 
nor my tongue to praise thee. — St. Bonaventure. 


* Blosius or. ad B. V. 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


783 


Oh Lady, by the love which thou dost bear to 
Jesus, help me to love him. — St. Bridget. 

Oh Mary, deign to make me thy servant. — Blessed 
Jane of France. 

Oh Mary, I give myself wholly to thee, do thou 
accept and preserve me. — St. Mary Magdalene of 
Pazzi. 

Oh Lady, do not abandon me until death. — P. 
Spinelli. 

Hail Mary, my mother. — P. Francis Brancaccio. 

Holy Mary, my advocate, pray for me. — P. Sorto- 
rio Caputi. 

How sweet, oh my mother, is thy name of Mary ! 

It gives me peace, and so much pleasure. 

That I wish always to repeat it. 

The most holy Mary revealed to a soul devoted to 
her, that it pleased her much to be honored by her 
servants wittuthe following devotions. 

I thank thee, oh eternal Father, for the power given 
to Mary thy daughter. Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory 
be to God. 

I thank thee, oh eternal Son, for the wisdom given 
to Mary thy mother. Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory 
be to God. 

I thank thee, oh eternal Spirit, for the love given 
to Mary thy spouse. Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory 
be to God. 

To thee we cry, oh queen of mercy, turn towards 
us, and let us behold thee dispensing favors, bestowing 


784 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


remedies, giving strength. Show us thy compassion- 
ate countenance, and we shall be safe.* * * § 

Oh mistress of all things, saint of saints, our strength 
and refuge, God, as it were, of the world, glory of 
heaven, accept those who love thee ; hear us, for thy 
Son honors thee and denies thee nothing. — Ibid. \ 
Come, hasten, oh Lady, and aid with thy mercy 
thy most sinful servant who invokes thee, and deliver 
him from the hands of the enemy. — Ibid.\ 

Who will not sigh to thee ? With love and grief 
we sigh. How, then, shall we not sigh to thee, oh 
solace of the miserable, refuge of outcasts, deliverer 
of captives ? We are secure that if thou dost see our 
miseries, thy compassion will not be slow to relieve 
us. — Ibid.§ 

Oh our Lady and our advocate, recommend us to 
thy Son. Obtain, oh blessed one, by the grace thou 
hast merited, that he who did condescend, with thy 
mediation, to become a participator of our infirmity 
and misery, may also by thy intercession make us to 
share in his blessedness and glory. — Ibid. || 

In thee I have placed the hope of my whole heart. — - 
St. John Damascene. 

It is not possible, oh Lady, that thou shouldst 
abandon him who places his hope in thee. — St. Ber- 
nard. 

* S. Bern, aut quisq. est auctor sup. Salv. Reg. Serm. 2. 

t Loc. cit. Serm. 3. 

X In Salv. Reg. S. Bon. Stim. c. 19, p. 3. 

§ Loe. cit. t Sup. Salv. Reg. 


GLORIES OF MART. 


785 


If thou dost only wish for our salvation, it will be 
impossible that we should not be saved. — St. Anselm. 

Hail, daughter bf God the Father; hail, mother of 
God the Son ; hail, spouse of God the Holy Ghost ; 
hail, temple of the whole Trinity . — Simon Garcia. 

Oh Virgin, how beautiful art thou ! 

Mother of my God, my heart is enamored with thy 
goodness. 

Thanks be to God and to Mary. 

May all things be to the eternal glory of the most 
holy Trinity, and of the immaculate Mary. 

Live always, Jesus our love and Mary our hope, 

with Joseph and Theresa our advocates. 

» 


ACCLAMATIONS IN PRAISE OE MARY. 

Oh most holy Virgin Mary ! oh queen of angels ! 
how complete and perfect heaven has created thee ! 
Oh, that I might appear in the eyes of God, as thou 
dost appear to me ! Thou art so beautiful and lovely, 
that with thy beauty thou dost ravish hearts. When 
thou dost appear, every thing appears deformed, every 
beauty is eclipsed, every grace disappears, precisely 
as the stars disappear at the rising of the sun. 

Thy great servant, St. John Damascene, contem- 
plated thee ; and when he saw thee so lovely, it ap- 
peared to him thou hadst taken the flower and the 
66 * 


786 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


best of every creature, and therefore he called thee : 
The comeliness of nature :* “Naturae venustatem 
the grace and comeliness of all creatures. St. Augus- 
tine, the brightest light of the Doctors, gazed on thee, 
and thou didst appear to him so beautiful and lovely, 
that he called thee the form and countenance of God, 
and it did not seem to him adulation : Thou art worthy 
of being called the form of God : “Si formam Dei te 
appellem digna existis.” Thy devout servant, Alber- 
tus Magnus, contemplated thee, and it seemed to him 
that all the graces and gifts that were found in the 
most celebrated women of the ancient dispensation 
were all surpassed in thee. The golden mouth of 
Sara, when with thy smile thou makest heaven and 
earth joyful; the fender and sweet glance of the , 
fruitful Lia, with which thou dost soften the heart of 
God inexorable to sinners ; the splendor of the coun- 
tenance of the beautiful Rachel, as thou dost obscure 
the sun by thy radiant beauty ; the grace and the 
comeliness of the discreet Abigail, with which thou 
dost appease the wrath of an angry God ; the fire and 
strength of the brave Judith, when thou dost power- 
fully and graciously subdue the proudest hearts. 

In a word, sovereign princess, from the vast ocean 
of thy beauty flowed forth, like streams, the beauty 
and grace of all creatures. The sea learned to curl 
its waves, and wave its crystals, from the golden locks 
of thy head, which, curling gracefully, floated upon 
thy shoulders and ivory neck. The crystal fountains, 
and their clear depths, learned their quiet and steady 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


787 


flow from the serenity of tljy beautiful brow and thy 
placid countenance. The graceful bow, when it is 
most beautiful, has carefully learned from thy eyebrow 
to arch itself graceful^, that it may better dart forth 
its rays of light. The morning Dian and the gentle 
Hesperus are flashes from thy radiant eyes. The 
white lily and the ruddy rose have stolen their colors 
from thy cheeks. The envious purple and coral sigh 
for the ruby of thy lips. The purest milk and sweetest 
honey are distillations from the sweet honeycomb of thy 
mouth. The odorous jasmin and the fragrant rose of 
Damascus have stolen their perfumes from thy breath. 
The loftiest cedar and the finest and most erect cypress 
esteem themselves happy when they see that they are 
the image of thy straight and lofty neck, and the palm- 
tree enviously, and in emulation, imitates thy stately 
stature. And thus, oh Lady, every created beauty 
is the shadow and copy of thy beauty. Therefore I 
do not wonder, oh sovereign princess, that heaven and 
earth are placed under thy feet ; for they are so small 
and thou so great, that when thy feet only rest upon 
them they are enriched, and they deem themselves 
happy and blessed when they can kiss them : so the 
moon when St. John the Evangelist saw her at thy 
feet. And the splendor of the sun was increased, 
when thou didst clothe thyself with his rays. The 
Evangelist, blinded by the greatness of thy light, was 
lost in wonder, and beside himself at the sight of so 
stupendous a miracle of beauty, in which the beauty 
of heaven and earth was contained, and he said : And 


788 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


there appeared a great sign in heaven : “ Signum mag- 
num apparuit in ccelo.” There appeared a great 
wonder in heaven, that amazed the angels and terrified 
the earth. And that miracle was a woman clothed 
from head to foot with light and splendor, whom the 
resplendent sun chose for his mother, and he placed 
himself in her womb, and to her the fair moon serves 
as a robe encircled with silver, and innumerable stars 
crown her temples, and are emulous of encircling her 
locks, and adorn her head with a wreath of precious 
gems: And on her head a crown of twelve stars: 
“Et in capite ejus corona duodecim stellarum.” 

And thus the saints, oh most sacred Virgin, marvel- 
ling at so great splendor which surpasses the brightness 
of the sun, and the graceful loveliness of the moon, 
though they be the perfect flower and ideal of all 
beauty, and considering the acclamations that burst 
forth from the heavens, never ceased to admire thy 
beauty, and do nothing but exclaim, and extol thee 
also, with acclamations of wonder and amazement. 
St. Peter Damian, paying to thee his homage, says : 
“ Oh holy, and most holy of all the saints, and the 
richest treasure of all sanctity 1” And St. Bernard : 
“ Oh admirable Virgin ! Oh woman, the glory of all 
other women ! The best and greatest that the world 
has ever possessed !” St. Epiphanius : “ Oh heaven 
more vast and extended than the empyrean ! Virgin 
truly full of grace !” And the Catholic Church, in 
the name of all, sings : “ Oh most clement, most mer- 
ciful, oh always sweet Virgin Mary !” 


GLORIES OF MARY. 


789 


And I also, oh heavenly princess, with thy leave, 
although I am the least of thy servants, I also wish 
to make my acclamations of wonder and amazement. 
Oh gracious and beautiful heaven, more vast than the 
empyrean ! since in this the immensity of God is not 
contained, but he was even concealed in thy womb. 
Oh richest treasure, in which was deposited the most 
rich jewel of our redemption ! Oh mother of sinners, 
beneath thy mantle we are protected ! Oh consola- 
tion of the world, in whom all the afflicted, infirm, 
and disconsolate find comfort! Oh beautiful eyes, 
that ravish hearts ! Oh coral lips, that take souls 
captive ! Oh beneficent hands, filled with hyacinths, 
that are always dispensing graces ! Oh pure creature, 
who dost appear so like God, and whom I should 
have esteemed a God, if faith had not taught me that 
thou art not God, although thou hast a splendor and I 
know not what of supreme Deity ! Oh great Lady, 
empress of heaven, enjoy for a thousand eternities the 
grandeur of thy state, the immensity of thy graces, 
and the felicity of thy glory. Only I supplicate thee, 
oh compassionate mother, that thou wilt not forget us, 
who beg to be thy servants and children. And be- 
cause thou art the depositary of all graces, and the 
best and most privileged of all created things, obtain 
for us thy servants, oh Lady, that we may be favored 
far more than any others in the world. And may all 
the world know that the dear children of Mary are 
the best of heaven and earth ; the beloved children 
who are tenderly cared for, and enjoy the best that 


790 


GLORIES OF MART. 


sucli a mother has to give ; the well-beloved, who are 
caressed in the bosom of the queen of heaven, and 
are doubly favored and doubly caressed by thy ma- 
jesty. Thus I hope, oh most beautiful Rachel! and 
thus I trust thou wilt do, oh sovereign princess ! In 
the name of what thou art ; do it, for all heaven pros- 
trate at thy feet, is supplicating and praying thee for 
this. Consent; utter but one loving fiat; fiat, fiat ; 
be it done, be it done. Oh man, what art thou doing ? 
How dost thou love the creatures of earth, deceitful and 
lying creatures, who betray and make thee lose thy 
soul, thy body, paradise, and God ? And why not 
love Mary, the most loving, the most amiable, and the 
most faithful, who, after enriching thee with consola- 
tions and graces in this life, will obtain for thee, from 
her divine Son, the eternal glory of paradise ? Oh 
Mary, Mary, beautiful above all creatures ! lovely, 
next to Jesus, above all loves! dearer than all created 
things ! more graceful than all graces ! have pity on 
my miserable heart. Miserable because it ought to 
love thee and does not love thee. Thou canst kindle 
it with thy holy love. Turn, oh Mary, thy loving eyes 
upon me, look on me, draw me to thyself, and obtain 
that, next to God, I may love none but thee, oh most 
gracious, most amiable Mary, mother of Jesus, and 
my mother. 


INDEX. 


Appellations of Mary — Page. 

Queen of mercy 27 

Compassionate mother 45 

Loving mother 51 

Our life 80 

Breath of Christians 83 

Terror of Hell 104 

Our hope 115 

Magnet of hearts 233 

Debtor to sinners 234 

Throne of divine mercy 248 

Ladder and vehicle to Heaven 278 

Throne of grace 300 

Celestial vessel 347 

Inclosed garden 358 

Channel of mercies 388 

Treasurer of graces 437 

Numerous, of Mary 439 

Dispensatrix of graces 440 

Finder of grace 442 

Dedication of one’s self to Mary 778 

“ a family “ “ 779 

Example — 

Of the mercy of Mary towards a great sinner 36 

William Elphinstone, converted from heresy 48 

How Mary rewards the love of a poor shepherdess.. 64 




INDEX. 


792 

Example — Pa ? e - 

Compassion of Mary towards penitent sinners 76 

Helen, a sinner, converted by the devotion of the 

Rosary 87 

Mary of Egypt 98 

How Mary consoled a poor woman in death 112 

How Mary rewarded a devoted servant 123 

Mary the advocate of sinners 139 

St. Francis de Sales and his devotion to Mary 151 

Arnold, the canon, who invoked Mary in death. 165 

A youth rescued by Mary from the power of the devil, 182 

Theophilus also rescued by Mary 196 

A criminal who received pardon on invoking Mary... 212 

Beatrice of Fontebraldo 224 

Benedetta of Florence 237 

Daily devotion to Mary saves a certain sinner 251 

Two students of Flanders 264 

Alexander of Aragona 273 

A Cistercian to whom Mary appeared 287 

Mary — mercy rather than justice 301 

A girl rescued from the devil by one letter of the 

name of Mary 318 

A man converted by a picture of Mary the Immacu- 
late 368 

The judgment of our Lord against Udo, bishop 389 

Appearance of infant Jesus to a nun 407 

A youth rescued from sin by devotion to Mary 432 

Two religious rescued by Mary in a wood 453 

An abandoned sinner saved by the Scapular... 471 

The death of St. Stanislas Kostka 4^)2 

One who lost his sight by a vision of Mary 512 

A sinner saved by pity for the Dolors of Mary 534 

u “ “ “ a vision of the swords of Mary’s 

sorrow 544 

A nun who had a vision of the flight of Jesus 551 


INDEX. 


793 


Example — Page. 

A sinner saved by a vision of the sword of sorrow.. 559 

Revelation of Jesus to Diamira, a nun 666 

A youth rescued from the devil by the Scapular. ... 576 

A sinner saved by a sermon on the mercy of God... 584 
A person freed from scruples by devotion to the 
Dolors of Mary 591 

Examples, various additional 679 

Jesus, King of Justice 28 

“ and Mary, invocation to, by St. Bonaventure 122 

“ “ invocation of the names of, dispels 

demons 163 

“• found only through Mary 181 

“ a debtor to Mary 200 

“ promises special graces to those devoted to the 

name of Mary 814 

Mary, her regal title 24 

“ queen of mercy 27 

“ invocation to, by St. Gregory of Kicomedia 33 

“ confidence in 34 

“ recourse to 35 

“ our mother 39 

** the joy she gives her children • 47 

“ her sacrifice of her Son 54 

“ love of, on account of our redemption by Jesus. ... 56 

“ concern of, for the human race 57 

“ love of, for those who love her 58 

“ devotion of Leonard the Dominican to 59 

“ examples of love to penitent sinners 68 

“ invocation to, of penitent sinners 75 

“ St. Andrew Avellino, example of her help in death, 103 

“ the sweetness of her servants in death 107 

“ Adolphus, Count of Alsace, consoled in death by... 109 

“ our hope, as our intercessor 116 

67 


794 


INDEX. 


Page. 

Mary obtains all things for her servants 120 

“ Christians encouraged to invoke her 121 

“ hope and refuge of sinners 128 

“ invocation of St. Bernard to 136 

“ hope of the despairing ■. 138 

“ readiness of, to aid her servants 143 

“ “ to aid sinners 146 

“ anticipates the prayers of her servants 147 

“ the marriage of Cana a proof of her readiness 148 

“ the dispenser of favors, rather than Jesus 149 

“ her power over evil spirits 159 

“ invocation of the name of, powerful at death 163 

“ the channel of all graces *171 

“ invocation of, both useful and necessary 180 

“ called by the Church, “ Our hope” 194 

“ the maternal authority of, with God 201 

“ the miracle at Cana, a proof of the influence of... 205 

“ the wishes of, always granted by her Son 207 

“ prayers of, always heard.. 209 

“ glories in the title of advocate of sinners 218 

“ reasons for confidence in 221 

“ invocation to, as mother of our Judge 236 

narration of two sinners saved by devotion to 

her.... 245 

“ all things to all men 246 

offended by those who do not invoke her 247 

“ a faithful servant of, cannot be lost 254 

“ hateful to the devil 258 

souls devoted to, hateful to the devil 260 

M obtains restoration of certain sinners to life 262 

* l servants of, secure of paradise 280 

M devotion to, a sign of salvation 285 

“ protection of, refuge in danger 286 

u mercy of unceasing 294 


INDEX. 795 

Page. 

Mart, full of grace and mercy. 298 

“ protection of, very powerful 299 

“ worthy mother of the Saviour 349 

** redeemed by the Holy Spirit at her conception.... 356 

“ greatly beloved by the Holy Spirit 359 

“ certainly free from original sin 361 

“ the Feast of her Immaculate Conception 366 

“ born a saint 371 

“ creation of her soul, greatest work of God 372 

“ her graces surpass those of saints and angels united 373 

“ her graces proportioned to her dignity 374 

“ nature of her grace explained 375 

“ prophecy of David applied to 377 

“ prophecy of Isaias applied to 378 

“ as mediatrix, must be sanctified from her birth.... 379 
“ had use of reason at the first moment of her 

existence 384 

“ used all her graces in the service of God 385 

“ her increase in grace 386 

“ offering of herself in the temple 393 

“ promptness of her offering 394 

“ quits her parents to serve God in the temple 396 

“ journey of, to Jerusalem 397 

“ completeness of her devotion to God 399 

“ holy life of, in the temple 401 

“ details of her life in the temple 402 

“ supplications of, in the temple 405 

“ the delight of God 406 

“ exaltation of, as mother of God 410 

“ humility of, draws the Word from Heaven 412 

“ -disturbed by the praises of the Angel.... 413 

“ unsuspicious of the dignity awaiting her. 414 

“ humility of, in her answer to the Angel 416 

* privileges of, increase her humility 418 


796 


INDEX. 


Page. 

Mary, especially beloved of God for her humility 419 

“ her close union with God 424 

“ nature of the union of God with her 425 

“ nature of her dignity 427 

“ graces bestowed on, in consequence of her dignity, 429 

“ superior to all creatures 431 

“ visit of, brought grace to Elizabeth and John 438 

“ grace easily found through her 445 

“ vision of, to sister Yillani 446 

“ charity of, in her visit to Elizabeth 447 

“ certainty of procuring grace through her 452 

“ her offering of her Son in the temple 458 

“ by this offering consents to his death 460 

“ understands the prophecies of this sacrifice 461 

“ firmness of, in this sacrifice 463 

“ cost to, of this sacrifice 466 

“ mother of the redeemed by her sufferings 469 

“ through her only we receive our Lord 470 

* death of 475 

“ “ happy because she was detached from the 

world 477 

“ “ “ from peace of conscience 478 

“ “ “ “ certainty of salvation 480 

“ circumstances of, after the death of her Son 482 

“ death of, announced to her by St. Gabriel 484 

“ takes leave of the apostles and disciples 486 

“ directions of, to the apostles and St. John 487 

“ death of, described 490 

“ assumption of, a season of rejoicing 496 

“ Jesus comes to take her to Heaven 499 

“ entrance of, into Heaven 601 

“ glory of, in Heaven. 505 

“ martyrdom of. 616 

“ length of her martyrdom 517 


INDEX 797 

' 

Page. 

Mary, greatness of her martyrdom 522 

“ unlike other martyrs, suffered without alleviation, 526 

“ suffered in proportion to her love of Jesus 529 

“ graces promised to those devoted to her dolors 534 

Meditations — 

For the Feast of Purification 749 

“ of the Annunciation 751 

“ “ “ Visitation 753 

“ “ “ Assumption 755 

w “ “ Nativity of Mary 757 

“ “ Presentation of Mary 759 

“ “ “ Immaculate Conception 761 

Name of Mary — 

“ divine 305 

“ sweet in life 306 

“ rich in blessings . 307 

“ enkindles love 308 

“ consoles the afflicted 310 

M terrifies devils 311 

“ attracts the Angels 312 

“ gives strength 313 

“ sweet in death 315 

“ invocation to the 317 

No vena of Meditations to precede the Feast of the 
Purification of Mary. 

1st day — “ Holy Mary, pray for us” 727 

2d day — “ Mother of divine grace” 729 

3d day — “ Amiable mother” 732 

4 th day — “ Virgin to be praised”. 734 

5th day — “ Virgin most faithful” 737 

6th day — “Mystical rose”. 740 

7th day — “ House of gold” 742 

8th day — “ Morning star” 744 

9th day — “ Comforter of the afflicted” 747 

67 * 


798 


INDEX. 


Offices of Mary — Page. 

Mother of sinners 68 

Finder of grace * 82 

Securer of pardon 86 

Giver of perseverance 90 

strength 91 

Protector in temptations 96 

Helper of dying Christians 101 

Receiver of her servants at death 106 

Consoler of the penitent at death 110 

The destroyer of the serpent 155 

Mediatrix of salvation-. 169 

Sharer in the work of our salvation...^ 185 

Mediatrix of saints with God 192 

A loving advocate 215 

An earnest advocate 219 

A wise and prudent advocate 220 

Our peace-maker 228 

The arbitress 235 

Saves those for whom she prays 263 

Helper of souls in purgatory 267 

Deliverer “ “ 270 

“ of those who wear the Scapular 272 

Guide of souls to paradise... 277 

Our intercessor 281 

Help of the miserable 294 

^Practices of Devotion to Mary — 

1st — Of the Hail Mary 646 

2d — Of Novenas 650 

3d — Of the Rosary and Office 653 

4th — Of Fasting 655 

5th — Of visiting the images of Mary 657 

6th — Of the scapular 659 

7th — Of entering her Confraternities 662 


INDEX. 


799 


Practices of Devotion to Mary — Page. 

8th — Of alms in her honor 668 

9th — Of frequent recourse to her 669 

Various united 670 

Prater to Mary as queen of Heaven 36 

“ “ “ our mother. 49 

“ “ the- ravisher of hearts 66 

“ of a penitent sinner to Mary 78 

“ to Mary, the refuge of sinners 88 

“ for protection against temptation 100 

“ “ for help in death 112 

“ “ our intercessor 126 

“ “ our refuge 140 

u of consecration to Mary 163 

** invoking the aid of, against evil spirits 166 

“ of thanksgiving to Mary 184 

“ imploring help to amend 198 

“ invoking the influence of Mary with God 214 

“ imploring forgiveness for ingratitude 226 

“ ' to Mary, our mediatrix 239 

“ “ whose eyes are always on her servants, 241 

“ pity of, increased in Heaven 244 

“ to obtain sorrow for sin and amendment 262 

“ thanksgiving to Mary 266 

“ for love to Mary 274 

w an offering of love to Mary 289 

u to Mary, as an example of the virtues 303 

for devotion to the holy name of Mary 320 

* of St. Ephrem to Mary 322 

“ “ St. Bernard “ 823 

u “ St. Germanus “ 325 

“ “ the Abbot of Celles to Mary 326 

“ “ St. Methodius 327 

u “ St. John Damascene 327 

“ “ St. Andrew of Candia 328 


800 


INDEX. 


Page. 

Prayer of St. Ildephonsus.... .. 329 

“ “ St. Athanasius 329 

“ “ St. Anselm 330 

“ “ St. Peter Damian 331 

“ “ St. William, Bishop of Paris 332 

M to Mary, to be said at the end of daily visit 332 

“ to Mary Immaculate 369 

u to the infant Mary 392 

M to the child Mary 409 

w thanksgiving for the exaltation of Mary 434 

“ to Mary as the dispensatrix of grace 463 

u “ who sacrificed her Son 474 

“ “ on her entrance into Heaven 495 

a “ glorified in Heaven 613 

u “ queen of sorrows 636 

“ “ pierced by the sword of sorro w 644 

M for the intercession of Mary with Jesus persecuted, 651 

“ to Maiy seeking her lost Son 559 

“ “ on her way to Calvary. 567 

** “ at the death of Jesus 576 

w “ at the foot of the cross 585 

“ “ at the burial of Jesus 591 

Prayers to the divine mother for every day of the week. 

For Pardon of sins — Sunday 764 

“ Perseverance — Monday 765 

“ a good death — Tuesday. 766 

“ deliverance from hell — Wednesday 767 

To obtain paradise — Thursday 768 

For love to Mary and Jesus — Friday 770 

“ the patronage of Mary — Saturday 771 

Prayer of St. Ephrem to Mary ’U 780 

“ “ Thomas of Aquin 78] 

M “ Blosius.to the Virgin 781 


INDEX. 


801 


Page. 

Reasons why Mary should be created sinless 337 

She was the first-born daughter of’ God 338 

She was to be the mediatrix of peace 339 

She was to crush the serpent 340 

She was to be mother of the Son of God 341 

A sinless mother was befitting the Son 345 

She was to be a worthy mother 350 

She was to be the habitation of the Lord 352 

“ “ “ a respected mother 354 

A sinless spouse was befitting the Holy Spirit 357 

Reflections on the Dolors of Mary — 

St. Simeon’s prophecy 537 

The flight into Egypt 545 

The loss of Jesus in the temple 652 

The meeting of Mary with Jesus when he went to 

death 560 

The death of Jesus 568 

The piercing the side of Jesus 577 

The burial of Jesus 586 

Rosary, Little, of the Dolors of Mary 773 

“ “ indulgences attached to 777 

“ “ of the immaculate Mary 778 

Types of Mary — 

Esther. 29 

Abigail 55 

Aurora 84 

The plane-tree 133 

Rebecca 134 

Hoe’s Ark 135 

Ruth 136 

The palm-tree 157 

The Ark 159 

The pillai if cloud and of fire 162 


802 INDEX. 

Types of Mary — Page 

Joseph. 189 

Abraham 220 

"Noe's dove. . 229 

ihe rainbow in the Apocalypse 230 

The olive-tree... 291 

Rebecca.....;.. .... 295 

Virtues of Mar y 592 

Her humility... „ 594 

“ charity towards God 603 

“ “ “ her neighbor 611 

“ faith 615 

“ hope 620 

“ chastity.... 623 

“ poverty. 629 

“ obedience 632 

* patience.. 636 

“ prayer 639 
































































































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